Santiago Internship Opportunities and Guidelines

Students may enroll in OSPSANTG 40 and receive 2 units upon successful completion of an academic internship in Santiago. BOSP Santiago facilitates and reviews placements for academic purposes, host organizations retain responsibility for supervision and legal compliance, and no employment relationship is created with BOSP or Stanford.

Students pursuing internships independently without academic credit are strongly encouraged to share their plans with BOSP. In these cases, BOSP may provide guidance and light-touch review; such arrangements remain the student’s responsibility and are not formally supervised or assessed by BOSP.

Students who are interested in pursuing an internship should keep in mind that all students are expected to comply with their academic and program obligations before completing an internship. The 12 credit hour minimum does not include the internship credit hours (2), and students must sign up for 12 hours of regular Santiago BOSP classes in addition to their internship. Students should plan to dedicate about 6-10 hours per week (maximum 10 hours) to an internship. Additionally, most organizations will expect that you have strong Spanish language skills—completion of 2 years of Spanish is recommended. Please review below for available internship opportunities through the program. If you are interested in one of these opportunities, please send a letter of interest and your CV to Program Director, Esteban Calvo (calvo@stanford.edu) one week prior to the start of the academic quarter.

CalvoLab
CalvoLab offers research practicums for students interested in applying data-driven approaches to global health, aging, and public policy. Students work with large-scale international datasets, contributing to data creation, harmonization, and analysis, while also engaging in literature synthesis to contextualize findings. They support the development of policy-relevant insights and may contribute to briefs or op-eds that translate research for broader audiences. Work is structured, closely supervised, and tailored to each student’s background, ensuring rigor, clear learning goals, and meaningful academic and applied impact.

Ciudad Emergente (CEM)
As an intern in Ciudad Emergente (CEM), the student will join our urban innovation laboratory to support the implementation of tactical urbanism projects and activation of public spaces that promote more liveable cities. Their role will include the application of impact measurement tools and analysis of urban data – under our premise that “what is not measured, does not exist” – as well as collaborating in processes of citizen participation and applied research to strengthen community trust in various regions. This experience will allow students to articulate solutions with the public and private sectors, contributing directly to urban regeneration and the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Fundación 99
Fundación 99 is a Chilean non-profit organization dedicated to reducing inequality and strengthening rural communities through education, local economic development, and community-based innovation. Working across rural regions of Chile, the organization develops evidence-based programs that support schools, teachers, students, entrepreneurs, and local leaders, with a particular focus on improving educational opportunities and promoting sustainable territorial development. Fundación 99 views rural schools as key centers of community development and works collaboratively with public institutions, private organizations, and local communities to create lasting social impact. The organization offers valuable internship and experiential learning opportunities for students interested in education, public policy, community development, social innovation, sustainability, rural development, economic development, and nonprofit management.

Fundación Crecer con Todos
Fundación Crecer con Todos is a Chilean non-profit organization dedicated to improving literacy outcomes and educational opportunities for children living in vulnerable communities. Since 2010, the foundation has developed and implemented evidence-based educational programs that strengthen reading comprehension, writing skills, socio-emotional learning, teacher training, and school improvement. Through its flagship program, Primero LEE, the organization works closely with schools, educators, families, and local communities to help children achieve strong literacy foundations and long-term academic success. The foundation offers meaningful learning opportunities for students interested in education, literacy development, child development, educational policy, social impact, nonprofit management, psychology, and community-based interventions.

Good Neighbors Chile 
Good Neighbors Chile is a Chilean nonprofit and member of the global Good Neighbors network, committed to empowering children, adolescents, and communities through education, human rights promotion, and sustainable development. Its programs focus on socio-emotional learning, educational innovation, community resilience, and the protection of children's rights, working collaboratively with schools, families, and local communities. As an intern at Good Neighbors Chile, you will be a key player in our mission to empower children and adolescents in highly vulnerable school communities. By promoting socio-emotional education, your contribution will directly impact their holistic well-being. You will actively engage in various areas: from research and strategic project design to creating awareness-raising content and providing direct support in the field.  

Gudcompany 
Gudcompany is a Chile-based design and innovation consultancy working across Latin America with purpose-driven organizations to align context, purpose, strategy, leadership, and organizational capabilities—turning ambition into sustainable, meaningful impact. Students engage in real-world projects through structured analytical and research contributions (e.g., strategic analysis, stakeholder mapping, impact evaluation), supporting insight generation and implementation. All work is supervised and tailored to each student’s discipline, ensuring academic rigor and applied value.

Volunteer Opportunities

If you would like to get involved in the local community by working in an area of your interest and receiving no academic credit, then volunteering may be a good option for you. While volunteering is much more flexible than interning, it does require time and effort as well as strong Spanish language skills. Sometimes volunteer organizations are situated far from the Stanford Center, implying travel time to the location. Students should not plan on dedicating more than 6 - 8 hours a week on volunteering and are expected to follow through with their commitment until the end of the quarter. While it is possible to arrange a volunteer position during orientation week with the help of Santiago staff, students interested in volunteering are encouraged to research their options before arriving in Santiago in order to start their position as soon as possible. Students should contact Rachel Matheson (rmath@stanford.edu) in Santiago for additional orientation in this process.

Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Student Grants for Research

Several grants are available through VPUE that can help support research abroad, including the Chappell Lougee Scholarship and Major Grant. For specific details regarding grant deadlines, eligibility, and policies for off-campus research, please visit the Student Grants Website.