CLAS Undergraduate Internship Grant

CLAS Internship Grants support students for self-arranged in-person summer internships. In-person internships are contingent on university guidelines. Awards range from 2,000 to $7,000 for full-time internships.  Service-oriented internships in Latin America may be eligible to be supported by the Monica Miller Walsh Grant (all Latin American countries) or the Pessoa-Trejos Grant (Brazil). To view students perspectives and experiences from previous internship grantees click HERE.

Stanford undergraduate students interested in completing a minimum of 8 weeks full-time in a service-oriented internship with an organization in Latin America during the summer quarter are eligible to apply to the Monica Miller Walsh Grant (Latin America) or the Pessoa-Trejos Grant (Brazil). Please read the descriptions of the two grants carefully, as each has different requirements, including language proficiency. The internship program is designed as a cultural/experiential learning opportunity, and as such, we expect interns to work on-site at their host organizations during their internship experiences (health and safety conditions permitting). 

Applications open in early January 2026 and are due February 3, 2026. Applicant interviews will take place between February and March 2026.

Eligibility 

Stanford undergraduate students from any discipline interested in completing a minimum of 8 weeks of a full-time independent internship in Latin America (Monica Miller Walsh Grant) or in Brazil (Pessoa-Trejos Grant) during the summer quarter. We encourage all interested and eligible Stanford undergraduates to apply, especially first-generation students and students with demonstrated financial needs.

Preference is given to students whose minor is in Global Studies with a concentration in Latin America and to students who have previously enrolled in at least one Latin American Studies content course. Lower priority is given to students with no prior Latin American content coursework.

Note: This funding is not for independent research projects. For a project that is strictly research-oriented and does not involve meeting the needs of an organization or business in Latin America, students are encouraged to apply for funding through Undergraduate Research Programs.

Application Requirements

Applications open in TBD 2025 and are due TBD 2026. Applicant interviews will take place TBD 2026.

Be prepared to submit the following documents when completing your Slideroom Application:

  1. Curriculum Vitae or Resume
  2. Statement of Purpose: In addition to describing why you would like to intern for the organization, your statement should include host organization name, website, internship address, contact person email and phone number, as well as the job content.
  3. Itemized Budget
  4. Evidence of Formal Arrangements with Organization
  5. Unofficial Transcript
  6. Faculty Letter of Recommendation

Application Process

READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

  1. Apply on SlideRoom
  2. In SlideRoom, click “apply now.” You will need to create an account to complete the application.
  3. Your recommender will receive a notification about the recommendation form. The recommender should be preferably a Stanford affiliate, not your internship host organization. If you miss this step, you might not be able to submit or save a draft of your application.
  4. Complete the rest of the application questions and click “submit” once your application is complete. Please double check if you selected the correct position(s) before you submit the application.
  5. Your statement helps the committee evaluate your fit with your self-arranged internship position. Clearly state why you are applying to that organization, what particular skills you can bring to the host organization and what you expect to gain from the internship experience. Please keep your statement to within 300 words. It should include the host organization's name, website, internship address, contact person's name, email, and phone number; as well as the internship dates, job description, and an itemized budget (including room & board, health insurance, vaccination(s), etc.).
    1. Stanford reserves the right to cancel or modify any award before or during the internship for any reason, including natural disasters, emergencies, or compliance with the University travel policy at healthalerts.stanford.edu.

For undergraduate students, Stanford-sponsored or Stanford-organized trips are prohibited to countries or regions and locations within a country where the risk rating is “High” or “Extreme.” To identify a location’s risk rating, please consult Stanford International Affair's Elevated Risk & Travel Advisories webpage. We recommend you consult a region's risk rating prior to formalizing internship arrangements. CLAS has the right to refuse support, including funding, resources, or sponsorship, for travel to such locations. We expect all individuals engaging in university-sponsored travel to comply with all applicable travel policies.

Past Internships in Latin America

Below you will find a list of organizations and locations of past summer internships. To hear directly from former grant recipients about their internship experiences, visit the Stanford CLAS Summer Internship Vimeo page.

Another resource is Stanford Haas Center's database of organizations which highlights where Stanford students have done internships. If you are interested in learning more, we highly encourage that you make an appointment with a Haas peer advisor and specifically ask them for the list of organizations in Latin America.

For Further Information:

Applicants may contact %20latinamerica [at] stanford.edu (subject: Undergraduate%20Summer%20Internship%20inquiry) (CLAS) with questions.