Center for Hellenic Studies

Summer Internships in Greece for Harvard Undergraduates 2008

150x150 images: parthenon1.jpg The Center for Hellenic Studies internship program offers Harvard undergraduates the opportunity to spend the summer living and working in Greece. One of Harvard’s most competitive summer programs, the internship combines daily academic and professional work with extended home-stays, weekend excursions, and cultural activities, creating a uniquely immersive experience for participants.

The CHS will place students in various institutions located either in Athens or in the town of Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece and where CHS is located. Every internship will be tailored to fit each student’s particular academic and extracurricular interests. Interns will be working Monday through Thursday at their host institutions, with Fridays free for excursions and sightseeing. Interns will be living in a bilingual environment (Greek and English), but their work will be conducted in English, with English speaking supervisors.

There will be an orientation week in Nafplio, which will include introductory Greek language instruction, a variety of cultural activities, local excursions and daily seminars led by CHS faculty members in the newly renovated CHS building.

After orientation week, interns will move into their permanent housing, either in a home-stay or in a shared apartment setting, and begin daily internship work. The range of experiences available to a CHS intern is vast. Some past placements have included participating in an archaeological dig, assisting in a graphic design firm, working with a curator in the Greek National Gallery, intensive training at a Greek shipping company, interning at a large PR firm in Athens, working with the Greek Ministry for Foreign Affairs, researching at the Goulandris Natural History Museum, and working at a European Foreign Policy think tank. CHS continues to find extraordinary opportunities tailored to suit the unique and specific interests of each participant.

Duration:
June 23-July 31

Application:
-A 600-800-word personal statement detailing [1] the student's intellectual and professional interests, [2] why the student wishes to spend time in Greece and how the student hopes to engage with Greek culture, [3] the student's ideal internship (field of work, responsibilities, opportunities for further exploration), and [4] how the student hopes that the experience will shape him or her.
-One letter of recommendation
-A one-page resume

All materials must be submitted electronically to the email address summer_internship(at)chs.harvard.edu by February 29th, 2008. Applicants will be notified by March 31 at the latest. Please contact summer_internship(at)chs.harvard.edu with any questions or to be added to mailing list.

Student testimonials from alumni:

“Not only was I presented with exciting professional and academic challenges, but I was also able to see Greece in a way that few tourists are able to. On the weekends, we traveled to historical and archaeological sites and learned the historical contexts of the country that we were seeing. I could really go on for days gushing about how wonderful the summer was. I am just extremely thankful to all of you and to the Center for Hellenic Studies for creating such a unique program that allows the student to gain invaluable work experience while learning, traveling, and getting all of the benefits of a study abroad program.”

“I will look back to my summer in Greece with nothing but smiles and fond memories. I owe so much to CHS for exposing me to such amazing opportunities and individuals over the course of what was certainly a life changing summer. Before taking part in the CHS internship, Greece was just a country on the globe that I found intriguing. Now it is hard to express just how much I feel a personal connection to Greece.”