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ProMexico Internships
Mexico is a country of diverse and ancient cultures, rich in tradition, history and religion, yet with a modern economy and tourism infrastructure. Mexico dates back approximately 10,000 years with its first known culture, the Olmec, creating the first civilization around 1500 B.C. Modern Mexico can be said to be a blend of two cultures originating from the Spanish conquest of the Aztec civilization in 1521.
To explore Mexico is to walk through rain forests and along tropical beaches, to traverse vast deserts and gaze at snow-capped volcanoes, and to walk the streets of teeming cities, sleepy indigenous villages, chic resorts and the ruined cities of the great Aztec, Maya and other civilizations that flourished here centuries ago.
The state of Oaxaca is one of the most ethnically diverse in all of the 31 states in Mexico. The many indigenous groups in the area boast over 90 dialects in 14 distinct languages. It also has the greatest biodiversity and variety of natural terrain of any state in Mexico. Within a few hours, volunteers can travel from the sandy beaches of the Pacific coastline to tropical jungles to thickly forested mountains of over 10,000 feet.
Field Internship - More independent internship placements in communities within 4 hours of ProMexico headquarters. No language classes or excursions. Volunteers live remotely 1 to 4 interns per community, work on individual projects, and have periodic meetings with ProMexico staff. Field Interns are expected to live according to local customs and norms.
Recent ProMexico volunteers have...
- Taught sales-based English to Zapotec women in a weaving cooperative
- Worked at a local health clinic and studied cervical cancer rates in communities
- Worked on a state-wide AIDS awareness campaign
- Helped educate rural women of their reproductive rights
- Performed hearing tests on disadvantaged children with auditory problems
- Helped promote local agriculture and provided nutrition education
- Supported rural primary school teachers in the classroom
- Worked with local museums seeking grants and cataloguing artifacts
ProMexico health volunteers take part in rural outreach programs, collaborate with health promoters to develop health education strategies, research basic health care issues and work in local clinics. Volunteers help improve basic health care at the grass-roots level where their impact can be the most significant
- Public Health Education and Research Work
- Rural Social Work and Outreach
- Clinical Work
ProMexico volunteers support grass-roots efforts to protect the environment assisting local NGO's with forest certification, forest conservation and working to provide support for local eco-tourism projects.
Environmental projects in Mexico
- Conservation & Environmental Protection
- Environmental Education
- Sustainable Agriculture
Social and Economic Development projects in Mexico
- Community Development
- Education
- Human and Legal Rights
- Micro Business
Program Summary
Orientation: Intensive orientation
Living: Homestay family
Spanish Classes: 4 days a week, 2 hours a day
Visiting Monte Alban and other pre-Colombian ruins
Participating in community festivals and visiting artisan villages (weaving, carving, pottery)
Hiking through Oaxaca's Sierra Norte mountains or visiting other natural wonders (caves, rock formations, waterfalls)
During free weekends, volunteers can also plan their own adventures
Prerequisites
Flexibility within project placements.
Orientation: Intensive orientation
Living: Homestay family
Excursions: Orientation trips only
Where: Oaxaca City and communities within 4 hours of Oaxaca City
