Academic Internships
Umbra offers academic internships in local schools, museums, and non-profit organizations. To participate, you are required to enroll in the three-credit INIT 350: Academic Internship and Seminar course. The course has two main components: one experiential and one reflective. The internship, the experiential component, provides you with direct experience in an international work setting. The reflective component is a seminar through which you gain academic knowledge that applies directly to your internship experience. These interactive seminars are guided by field-experienced professors at the Umbra Institute.
Palazzo Sorbello House Museum
Students at the Palazzo Sorbello.
The House Museum (casa museo) academic internship and seminar is a unique way to learn about the cultural and artistic heritage of Italy, the region of Umbria, and Perugia. Based on the museum’s needs, you will assist museum staff in preparing exhibitions, conferences, and other cultural events.
A student helps the Borgo Bello Neighborhood Association paint street numbers on Corso Cavour.
Urban Engagement
Explore the history of Perugia to see how the past has contributed to shaping the cultural, political, and social landscape of the city today. In collaboration with the city government, local volunteer organizations, and schools, you will analyze how public space is used by different community members and how to foster civic participation in Perugia’s historic center. You will then transform these analyses into internship projects aimed at preserving the culture and civic flavor of the historic neighborhood.
Monimbò Fair Trade Cooperative
Student interns help the Monimbo Fair Trade store prepare for Easter.
Take an in-depth look at Fair Trade, explore the social, political, and economic implications of global efforts, and research current initiatives in Italy and America in the seminar. As an intern, you will assist with general store operations and regional festivals as well as organize and market social and informational events. Depending on your Italian language level, you may also facilitate school education workshops and awareness campaigns. A minimum of Intermediate Italian language level required.
Students visit the Alessi Scientific High School to prepare for their internships.
Education (Spring Semester Only)
In this academic internship and seminar, you examine educational psychology, pedagogical models, and English language teaching methods. You will intern with either a local public scientifico or Montessori high school, working closely with English language teachers and Italian students. Depending on your placement and the teachers’ needs, you will either assist with lesson planning and classroom instruction or design and implement English language workshops with a specific theme such as music or travel. You will also collaborate with Perugia’s POST Science Museum to create educational videos in English for student workshops!
Students at the Lungarotti Winery with their final project.
Winery Internship (Summer Session Only)
A non-academic internship during the month of May, this involves students working with local wineries Lungarotti and Castello Monevibiano to improve their online presences. At Montevibiano, students will do market research about a possible product launch in the U.S. market.