Exploring Careers in Foreign Language and Area Studies
Experiential learning opportunities are key when investigating careers focused on foreign languages and cultures, whether through internships, job shadows, or informational interviews. Below is a list of locations where St. Olaf students have completed experiential learning activities related to foreign language and area studies since 2000. Interns' majors include: Africa and the Americas, Asian Studies, Chinese and China Studies, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Japan Studies, Latin, Latino/Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, Nordic Studies, Norwegian, Russian Language and Area Studies, and Spanish. Use this list to get started and to spark your creativity – there are numerous organizations not mentioned here that may also offer opportunities!
Organizations where Oles have interned in the past
By major:
- Africa and the Americas
- Asian Studies
- Chinese and China Studies
- French
- German
- Hispanic Studies, Latino/Latin American Studies, and Spanish
- Japanese and Japan Studies
- Middle East Studies
- Norwegian and Nordic Studies
- Russian Language and Area Studies
Organizations where Oles have interned in the past
- Coffee House Press
- American Red Cross
- Lutheran Social Services
- Professional Association of Treatment Homes (PATH, Inc)
- Northfield Historical Society
- African Impact (Zambia)
- MN Department of Public Health
- Lutheran World Relief
- Children's HeartLink
- Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
- SageVision (China)
- Concordia Language Villages
- General Mills
- Laogai Research Foundation
- St. Olaf College, Center for Experiential Learning
- KJ International Resources
- Interdean Interconnex S.A. (Vietnam)
- Lexus Mission Viejo
- Master Communications Group
- St Olaf College, Asian Studies Dept.
- St. College - IIT
- St. Olaf College - History Dept.
- St. Olaf World Languages Center
- River Valley Vision Center
- 90.9 FM WDCB Public Radio
- Theater Mu
- WCAL 89.3 FM
- Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill
- Minnesota Senate
- Project Vietnam (Vietnam)
- Access to Justice Asia (Singapore)
- Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
- Center for Hmong Arts & Talent
- Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
- Greenvale Park Elementary
- Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
- Parkview Hospital
- Ecumenical Loan Funds for Human Development - Non-profit ecumenical microfinance organization focused on supporting human development and building sustainable communities.
- Children's Home Society of MN -Provide services in adoption, early childcare and education, child and family support, and counseling and therapy.
- Allen Memorial Hospital
- St. Olaf College, Music Dept.
- V.I.B.E. Urban Youth Ministries (St. Paul, MN) - Collaboration of urban congregations.
- The Children's Home of Reading (Reading, PA) - Care for needs of children and families in crisis and prepare them for success in life.
- St. Olaf College - GEAR-UP - Prepares high school students for undergraduate study through mentoring, tutoring, college and financial planning, and study skills workshops.
- Cole Dermatology (Northfield, MN) - Medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology.
- Social Research Institute (Thailand) - Social science research and training.
- US Environmental Protection Agency
- Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (St. Paul, MN)
- Villages of Hope (Africa) - Provide food, clothing, education, and shelter for children in need.
- Laogai Research Foundation (Washington, D.C.) - Gather information and raise awareness of human rights violations in China.
- WCAL(Northfield, MN)- Minnesota Public Radio communications intern.
- Thomsen & Nybeck P.A. (Bloomington, MN) - Attorneys in Real Estate, Litigation, Business, and Personal Services.
- American Red Cross (St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN)
- Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) - Financial and accounting intern.
- St. Olaf College, Archives -Houses historical information on the founding and growth of St. Olaf College.
- Make-a-Wish Foundation (Minneapolis, MN) -Grants wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.
- Pella Regional Health Center (Pella, IA) - Provide a variety of services for patients of all ages.
- Teach for America (Minneapolis, MN) -Recent college grads teach for 2 years in urban and rural schools.
- Casa Bernabe, Friends of Children Everywhere (Guatemala) - Provide food, shelter, medical services, Christian education to abused, orphaned, and abandoned children.
- Bahama Consulting (Inver Grove, MN) - Provide clients with IT, finance, retail, and healthcare professionals.
- Ruth's House (Faribault, MN) - Shelter for abused women and children.
- Satchidananda Ashram/Yogaville (Buckingham, VA) - Yoga community for spiritual enfoldment.
- Children Better Way (Ghana) - Promote rehabilitation and development of children affected by conflict.
- Wallmedien AG (Paderborn, Germany) -Use eProcurement and develop solutions for companies.
- v. Bodelschwinghsche Anstalten Bethel (Bielefeld, Germany) - Provide humane assistance to sick, crippled, and socially weak.
- Wewelsburg Museum (Buren, Germany) - Castle which was formerly and office of the SS Order.
- University of Paderborn (Paderborn, Germany)
- B.I.N.S.S. (Berlin, Germany) - IT services and solutions in Danger Detection Technology.
- German Council on Foreign Affairs (Berlin, Germany) - Improve understanding of international relations and scientifically explore pertinent issues of German foreign policy.
- Evangelista Kirchgemeinde Plon (Plon Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) - Evangelical Lutheran Church.
- Deutscher Arbeitskreis fur Familienhilfe (Todtnauberg, Germany) - Family and child support and treatment center.
- dSPACE (Paderborn, Germany) - Engineering company for tools which develop and test computer software.
- Christian Democratic Union (Germany) - Prepare and execute political campaigns.
- Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) (Minneapolis, MN) - Improve U.S.'s ability to teach foreign languages.
- American Folklife Center, Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.) - Preserve folk culture and history.
- Northfield Historical Society (Northfield, MN) - Preserve, interpret, and honor history of Northfield.
- Northfield Public Library (Northfield, MN)
- Just Food Co-Op (Northfield, MN) - Fresh, local, and organic foods and sustainable household products.
- The Minnesota Opera (Minneapolis, MN) - Produce operas and opera education programs.
- Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) - Physicians, scientists, and researchers in health fields.
- US Forest Service (Gardiner, MT) - Manage public lands in national forests and grasslands.
- SMSQ Architects (Northfield, MN) - Architecture planning, feasibility studies, design, and construction administration.
- Rice County Day Treatment Program (Faribault, MN) - Special education and mental health services for grades K-12 in Rice County schools.
- Thomsen and Nybeck P.A. (Edina, MN) - Attorneys for real estate, litigation, business, and individual services.
- Mayo Scholars Program (Rochester, MN) - Evaluate projects submitted to Mayo Office of Intellectual Property.
Hispanic Studies, Latino/Latin American Studies, and Spanish
- La Anita Rainforest Ranch (Upala, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Macadamia and flower plantation.
- Robin's Nest Children's Home (St. James, Jamaica) - Christ-centered home for children.
- Interfaith Service to Latin America (Nicaragua) - Medical, education, and construction programs.
- Casa Bernabe (Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala) - Home to abused and homeless children.
- Yanapuma Foundation (Ecuador) - Volunteer in education, environmental, and medical positions.
- Casa de Los Angeles (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico) - Support for children and families.
- Fundacion del Servicio Exterior para la Paz y la Democracia (San Jose, Costa Rica) - Work to create more justice, freedom, and peace in the democracy.
- University of Montreal (Montreal, Canada) - Second largest university in Canada. Science/research position.
- Latino Economic Development Corporation (Washington, D.C.) - Provide bilingual financial guidance.
- Bozeman Daily Chronicle (Bozeman, MT) - Sales/marketing intern for the newspaper.
- Cloudforest Initiatives (St. Paul, MN) - Partner with Mayans in Chiapas, Mexico and Fair Trade Coffee.
- St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (St. Paul, MN)
- Brown Clinic (Watertown, SD) - Healthcare clinic.
- Abbott Northwestern Hospital (Minneapolis, MN) - Largest hospital in the Twin Cities.
- La Familia Guidance Center, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) - Culturally-based mental health services.
- Amigos de las Americas (Alameda, CA) - Prepares young adults for service in Latin America.
- Merrill Lynch (Minneapolis, MN) - Financial management and advising.
- Foley High School (Foley, MN)
- Resource Center of the Americas (Minneapolis, MN) - Promote human rights and justice.
- Riverview Economic Development Association (St. Paul, MN) - Enhance West St. Paul community.
- Minnesota International Center (Minneapolis, MN) - Create conversations across cultures.
- Our Saviour's Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, MN)
- Target Corporation (Minneapolis, MN) - Sales/Marketing internship with Target.
- RBC Dain Rauscher (Minneapolis, MN) - Full-service securities firm.
- Fallon Worldwide (Minneapolis, MN) - Advertising agency.
- Northfield Independent School District 659 (Northfield, MN) - Education (non-certified) positions.
- Wells Fargo (Minneapolis, MN) - Communications/Public Relations internship.
- The Advocates for Human Rights (Minneapolis, MN) - Research, education, and advocacy for human rights.
- Fete Perfection, LLC (St. Louis Park, MN) - Wedding and event planning.
- Kare11 (Minneapolis, MN) - News and weather television station.
- Ordway Center for Performing Arts (St. Paul, MN) - Theater, dance, and music programs.
- Academia Sandoval (Denver, CO) - Dual-language Montessori school (3 yrs- 6th grade).
- Greenvale Park Elementary School (Northfield, MN) - Kindergarten-5th grade education.
- Allina Medical Clinic (Northfield, MN) - Healthcare provider.
- Minnesota Private College Council, Fund & Research Foundation (St. Paul, MN) - Preserve and enhance private higher education.
- Centro de Salud (Minneapolis, MN) - Culturally affirming health clinic for all ages.
- Resource Center of the Americas (Minneapolis, MN) - Promote human rights & economic justice.
- St. Olaf World Languages Center (St. Olaf College) – Serves the foreign language departments of the college.
-
Master Communications Group (Bloomington, MN) – Consulting firm and partner.
- Yanapuma Foundation (Ecuador) - Volunteer in education, environmental, and medical positions.
- Academic Support Center (St. Olaf College) - Assists students in developing study techniques.
- Friendship Ventures (Eden Prairie, MN) - Create opportunities for those with mental disabilities.
- Augustana Lutheran Church (St. Paul, MN)
- Arab-American Family Support Center (Brooklyn, NY) - Social services for immigrant families.
- United States Senate: Office of Amy Klobuchar (Minneapolis, MN)
- Rape Victim Advocates (Chicago, IL) - Protect rights of rape victims.
- Redeemer Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, MN)
- Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy (St. Paul, MN) - Promote policies supporting peace & justice.
- Johnson Social Innovation Program (St. Olaf College) - Develop approaches to social problems in the Twin Cities.
- War Kids Relief (Dennison, MN) - Facilities and programs for kids traumatically affected by war.
- Healthy Community Initiative (Northfield, MN) - Collaboration between community and families to support positive youth development.
- City of Northfield (Northfield, MN) - Government internship.
- US Dept. of State/US Embassy (Oslo, Norway) - Protect and promote U.S. interests in Norway.
- University of Tromso (Tromso, Norway) - Medical internship.
- Eppley Institute for Cancer Research (Omaha, NE) - Provide training, research, and care.
- MN Orchestra (Minneapolis, MN) - Public Affairs internship.
- Northfield Historical Society (Northfield, MN) - Preserve, interpret, and honor the city's history.
- Walgreens (Northfield, MN) - Pharmacy internship.
- Burnsville High School (Burnsville, MN) - Recreation/fitness internship.
- Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections (Minneapolis, MN) - Supervision and services for public offenders.
- Signature Flight Support (Rochester, MN) - Business internship with airline.
- Rejoice! Lutheran Renewal Church (Northfield, MN)
Russian Language and Area Studies
- Kuban State University (Krasnodar, Russia) - Education (non-certified) internship.
- Russian Department (St. Olaf College)
- Minnesota Monthly (Minneapolis, MN) - Public Relations intern for the magazine.
- Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (Dallas, TX) - Sales/Marketing intern.
- Towers Watson Worldwide (Bloomington, MN) - Global professional services company.
- Augsburg Fortress (Minneapolis, MN) - Publishing house of the ELCA.
INTERNSHIP POSTINGS
Where To Look- Piper Center Internship Search Resources
SPECIFIC INTERNSHIP POSTINGS
Intern Abroad
Intrax International Internships
AsiaInterns.com
Asia Studies Internships -through St. Olaf College (offered Summer 2010)
OverseasJobs.com
Monster Work Abroad
JobsAbroad.com
International Staffing Consultants
Lat Pro
Trabajos.com (in Spanish)
TwoLingos.com
Asian Jobs.com
Hispanic Jobs.com
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
These organizations provide information, networking, and additional training opportunities and may offer student memberships at a discount.
International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
Association of International Educators
Council on International Educational Exchange
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
Foreign Policy Association Student Corner
American Translators Association
National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators
National Council on Interpreting in Health Care
LINKS which provide additional information beyond internships in the following areas.
Africana Studies
Foreign Language
Global/International Studies
