A few years ago, a few of us—ecology, economics, and business
graduates—founded a nonprofit organization called Third Millennium Alliance.
 We raised some money and bought a lot of land in a critically-endangered
rainforest and established an ecological reserve.  We first built an
innovative research station out of bamboo, then we partnered with a family
in the adjacent community of Camraones and built a community learning center
by hand with the help of community members.  People became curious of our
goals to become 100% self-sufficient, to conserve forest, and use resources
sustainably.  In response, we have developed an afterschool program for
local children, a teen program, and various projects in collaboration with
the families of Camarones.  With our presence established, we grow together
in education exploring the environment, various arts (culinary, theater,
music, and studio), culture and teaching English.  The date range for the
“Late Summer” program is August 1—September 29, 2012. The cost is $960,
which comes out to about $16/day. 

Priorities for the Late Summer Internship include:

•       Planning and leading children´s program
•       Developing curriculum for art and environmental education
•       Assisting the teen program garden and activities
•       Organizing community workshops/vocational trainings
•       Teaching English language
•       Developing Organic Market

If you would like to learn more, please visit our Internship page on our
website, where you can download a PDF file which includes a detailed program
description, at: http://3malliance.org/index.php?id=320

How to Apply: 
Please only apply if you know that 1) you will be available during the
program dates, 2) you can afford the program fee, and 3) you are seriously
interested in this program.  As we spend most of the time in the forest, we
do not have time to engage in lengthy back-and-forth email banter. The
intern coordinator only goes into town 1-2 days per week, so internet access
is limited to as little as 2 hours per week. For this reason, our
application procedure has been created to make this process as efficient as
possible. This is how it works:
•       Send us an email with short answers to each of the questions listed 
below.
Please try to limit each answer to just a couple of sentences. In most cases
we will respond within one week. In some cases it may take up to two weeks.
If you haven’t heard from us within two weeks, please feel free to re-submit
your application—that kind of enthusiasm shows that you’re really interested
in this program. 
•       We respond to your email by proposing 1-3 primary projects that we think
you would be a good fit for. We also attach several info documents that
should answer all of your logistical questions, such as travel info, packing
list, medical info, where ATMs are relative to the site, etc. Then we ask
you two questions. First, we ask you to choose which of the aforementioned
primary projects are most interesting to you. Then, we ask you: “If given an
offer, would you accept this position. And if yes, would you be willing and
able to commit to the program (i.e., pay the deposit) within one week of
receiving the offer?”
•       In short answers, explain which of the projects most appeals to you. 
Also,
let us know if you are prepared to commit to the program or not. 
•       We will take 1-2 weeks to review applications and get back to you with a
firm answer. If we give you an offer, you will be expected to commit to the
program within 1-2 weeks of receiving the offer, depending on how far along
the application process is.
 
Application Questions:
Please limit yourself to just a few sentences per question.
•       What is your background? What stage of life are you in right now?
•       Why do you want to participate in this program?
•       What kind of experience do you have in developing countries?
•       What kind of experience do you have in tropical forests (or non-tropical
forests)?
•       How would you describe your interpersonal style?
•       How is your Spanish?
•       Which of the projects listed above most interest you?
•       Do you have any dietary restrictions or medical restrictions? 
 
Send emails to Laura Randall at [email protected] with the subject
heading “COMMUNITY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM” and copy Jerry Toth at
[email protected]. Please don’t take it personally if we keep our
responses short – we’re just doing it to economize on time spent in front of
a computer. Laura usually checks email on either Tuesday or Sunday, although
there may be exceptions to this. For additional information, you can visit
our website at www.3malliance.org, which also includes a 10-minute video
about the ecosystem, a 2 minute video made by former interns about their
experiences, and a photo gallery.

All that said, we’re very happy to open this opportunity up to people with
the passion and the interest to get involved in an experience like this, and
we look forward to working with you in the forest! 

Laura Randall

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