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The prestigious Borlaug-Ruan International Internship provides high school students an all-expenses-paid, eight-week hands-on experience, working with world-renowned scientists and policymakers at leading research centers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Since 1998, over 140 Borlaug-Ruan Interns have traveled to Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Kenya, Peru, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Trinidad.
The Borlaug-Ruan International Internship is different from other study abroad internship programs in that students participate in original research projects with acclaimed international scientists while getting a firsthand view of pressing food security issues and nutritional problems in poverty-stricken areas of the developing world.
Through the internship program, the student becomes an integral part of her or his assigned project, spending time in the lab, as well as days or weeks at a time in the field, conducting research and gathering data.
The Borlaug-Ruan International Internship program seeks to inspire exceptional high school students to pursue careers in food, agricultural and natural resource disciplines.
APPLYING FOR THE INTERNSHIP…
Any student who has participated in the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute is eligible to apply.
Owing to the significant responsibilities imposed under the internship program, applicants must be at least in 11th grade at the time they apply for the internship. Students remain eligible to apply for the internship through their freshman year of college.
To apply, students are required to submit:
1. A cover letter, including a list of particular countries/regions and research areas of interest
2. Official school transcript
3. Resume or curriculum vitae
4. Two letters of recommendation from the student’s teachers
5. A concise, one-page essay explaining why the student would like to participate in the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship program and why she/he would be a good candidateApplications must reach the World Food Prize office no later than December 31st to be considered for internship positions the following summer.
Participants in the internship program are chosen through a competitive, multi-state screening and interview process. Intern selection is based on:
1. Background and interests of the student applicants;
2. Number of research centers available to host interns; and
3. Project needs of participating research centers.Finalists for the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship are interviewed in early February and the official announcement of intern selections and placements takes place in late February or early March.
Interns do not receive compensation for their work, but their travel to and from the center, lodging and meal expenses are paid by the World Food Prize Foundation.
To apply for the internship, or for more information, contact Lisa Fleming at:
The World Food Prize Foundation
666 Grand Avenue, Suite 1700
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (515) 245-3795
Fax: (515) 245-3785
lfleming@worldfoodprize.org