GLENDALE–The Armenian Youth Federation – Western U.S. has opened its application process for the second year of its Internship in Artsakh. Founded in 2018, the AYF Internship in Artsakh gives young Diasporan Armenians the opportunity to participate in professional internship and volunteer placements in Artsakh over six weeks in the summer.
The program is unique in that it focuses exclusively on Artsakh. It builds on the legacy of AYF Youth Corps, which will be in its 25th year, and the AYF’s legacy of connecting diasporan youth to their homeland.
Selected applicants will be matched with a six-week internship or project in a field of their choosing in Artsakh. Possible sectors of work include the government, non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGO), health and medicine, education, information technologies sector, agriculture sector, and multimedia development.
Interns will live together and attend educationals, excursions, and forums. The cost of housing, excursions, and some meals will be covered by the AYF-WUS. Interns must be at least 18 years old.
Last summer, interns worked in government agencies such as the Ministry of Nature Protection and the Human Rights Defender’s Office as well as in Artsakh’s private sector. The interns will live together and attend excursions and educational excursions after their internships and on the weekends.
“The internship in the Human Rights Defender’s Office, in a region filled with unexplored potential, was an experience I would not change for any other,” said first-year participant, Mane Grigoryan of Florida.
Another participant, Sevag Injean of AYF Glendale Roupen Chapter, stated, “The 2018 Artsakh internship was an experience I will never forget. With the help of the AYF I was able to work hands on and interact with the concepts that I had learned in my classroom. Not only was I able to gain experience in my future field of work, I was able to do it all in my homeland.”
The deadline to apply is April 15, 2019. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis. The program will run from early July to mid August. Apply online. For more information, please email artsakhinternship@ayfwest.com or call 818-507-1933.
Founded in 1933 with organizational structures in over 17 regions around the world and a legacy of over eighty years of community involvement, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.
Woohoo! Great program!