LACIS
Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program

Volunteer and Job Opportunities

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General Internship & Career Development Resources

Local Internship & Volunteer Opportunities

  • Briarpatch Youth Services of WI: Seeking Spanish-speaking Volunteers to work with local Hispanic families and youth. Please visit www.youthsos.org or call 608-251-6211 for more information.
  • Centro Hispano of Dane County: Offer general office support and/or assist individuals needing translation for cultural arts and outreach programs, court cases, ESL courses, housing assistance programs, the community center, or participate in an after school tutoring program at locations all over Madison. For more information, please visit https://www.micentro.org/volunteer-with-us.html or email Youth Programs Community Engagement Coordinator Jackelyn Velasquez at jackelyn@micentro.org.
  • Colombia Support Network: (Stipend possible for Intern) — Please contact contact@colombiasupport.net for more information. Assist in communications with CSN Chapters; work with CSN Urgent Actions; assist with web page development, and/or help plan delegations to Colombia.
  • Envest is a for-profit global microfinance fund manager in Madison that aims to provide universal access to credit. Envest is looking for interns with coursework or relevant experience in accounting and finance, and with Spanish, French, or Russian language skills to assist with a variety of tasks such as analyzing and monitoring the financial and social performance of our global partners. There are also opportunities to contribute to our social media accounts and newsletters. Interns gain valuable experience in microfinance, impact investing, and international business. Internships are unpaid. Applicants should be prepared to commit 8-10 hours a week during the school year to make this a rewarding experience for all involved. For more information on Envest, please visit envestmicrofinance.org. Please submit all internship inquiries to  Jon Bishop at jonbishop@envestmicrofinance.org.
  • Family Farm Defenders promotes sustainable agriculture, workers’ rights, fair trade, food sovereignty, consumer safety, animal welfare and global justice. Volunteer and internship opportunities include: translating documents from English to Spanish, Portuguese or French; researching information for “Fact Sheets”; table at community events; engaging in grant writing; translating for farm tours with visitors from overseas, and media. Please contact familyfarmdefenders@yahoo.com for more information.
  •  Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice seeks volunteers for outreach to religious organizations. For more information, contact director@workerjustice.org or call (608) 255-0376.
  • International Institute of Wisconsin (Milwaukee): IIW seeks interns and volunteers to assist with areas such as: refugee resettlement, the International Visitors program, and nonprofit management.
  • Morgridge Center
  • Madison Arcatao Sister City Project: Please visit their Facebook page for more information. MASCP maintains a close relationship with the people of Arcatao, El Salvador. They lead yearly delegations to Arcatao, support scholarships and regional organizers in Arcatao and contribute to the success of the US El Salvador Sister Cities. Please visit their Facebook page for more information, and send them a message inquiring about volunteer opportunities.
  • Planned Parenthood of WI seeks bilingual volunteers to assist with health education and outreach, advocacy and clerical work. Please visit the Get Involved page for local volunteer opportunities.
  • Rooted: Interested in learning more about sustainable, equitable agricultural practices in Madison? Volunteers with Rooted have the opportunity to work on a range of projects depending on their skill sets and the organization’s needs, including urban farming, garden-based field trips, and youth-oriented programming. Language proficiency in Spanish can be beneficial, depending on the volunteer role.
  • Schools of Hope: Midvale Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary school both seek Spanish-speaking Volunteer Tutors for bilingual programs in literacy. Both UW-faculty and students have previously participated in this program and found it very worthwhile and enriching. If you’re interested in participating, please visit their website for more information.
  • SERRV International (Madison, WI): SERRV International’s mission is to promote the social and economic progress of people in developing regions of the world by marketing their products in a just and direct manner. Their goal is to alleviate poverty and empower low-income people through trade, training and other forms of capacity building as they work to improve their lives. SERRV has worked to assist artisans and farmers for more than 55 years and was one of the first alternative trade organizations in the world and also a founding member of the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT). SERRV International offers volunteer/internship positions in Latin America, as well as opportunities from time-to-time at their Madison headquarters.
  • Wisconsin ESL Institute: Check back for opportunities to work as an ESL instructor at WESLI, or to participate in their TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certification program.
  • Working Capital for Community Needs (WCCN): A non-profit organization whose mission is to create opportunities for access to microfinance, services, and markets to improve the lives and communities of the working poor in Latin America. WCCN empowers low-income Latin American entrepreneurs by sustaining partnerships with Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and Fair Trade Agriculture Organizations in Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Peru. Please visit their website for more information about volunteer opportunities.
  • Worker’s Rights Center seeks bilingual volunteers for worker advocacy and other projects related to worker’s rights. For more information contact worker@workerjustice.org or call (608)255-0376.

International Opportunities

US-Based Opportunities