Students' Practicum Assignments: Making a Global Difference from South Korea to NYC to Poland

As a part of their studies at the Middlebury Institute, most students engage in a practicum, enabling them to apply their graduate education in practical, real-world environments. They have the ability to follow their interests and passions, working with a diverse range of organizations and agencies at local, state, national, and international levels.

For the fall semester, almost seventy students are completing practicum projects engaged in activities like: 

• Building the Common Good Soup Kitchen’s capacity to reduce food insecurity by identifying and pursuing funding opportunities and by supporting fundraising efforts through marketing campaigns in Mount Desert Island, Maine
• Conducting independent research about Vietnam on the country’s economic development within the global context
• Interning at the Public Finance and Local Governance Unit and the UNICEF Social Policy and Social Protection Programme Group in New York City
• Teaching English to North Korean refugees in a high school in South Korea
• Working with the HOPE Border Alliance in El Paso, TX

International Policy and Development, Public Administration, and International Trade Practicum

Beginning in May 2023, the Master in Public Administration (MPA), MA in International Policy and Development (IPD), and MA in International Trade (ITED) programs consolidated all practicum course options into a single course. Students can choose to undertake a work project with an organization where they are employed or interning, a client project for a partner organization, or independent academic research that is published in an academic journal or self-published on Middlebury’s digital platforms.

Below is a list of current participants for both programs, along with their organizations and locations:

International Education Management and Joint Public Administration/International Education Management Practicum

The International Education Management (IEM) and joint MPA/International Education Management practicum is focused on gaining practical experience and advanced management skills for students entering the career of international education. 

Below is a list of current participants for both programs, along with their organizations and locations:

The Professional Service Semester

The Professional Service Semester (PSS) is an experience designed for students in the Environmental Policy and Management and Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies programs. The PSS experience allows students to apply skills and knowledge gained through their prior coursework in a professional setting. These experiential learning courses serve as stepping stones to their future careers.

Below is a list of current participants for both programs, along with their organizations and locations (note: this semester, there are no EPM students completing this practicum):

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Teaching Foreign Language Practicum 

TESOL and Teaching Foreign Language (TFL) students are combining reflective practice and professional development in preparation for careers in language education.

Below is a list of current participants for both programs and their projects:

Translation and Localization Management Practicum

The Translation and Localization Management (TLM) program offers hands-on experience through Localization practicum, which is a core class both in the fall and the spring semesters for second-year students. The fall TLM Practicum is divided into 2 sections (A and B), run by different professors.

Section A, led by Professor Martins, is designed for people who prefer to work on existing student-run projects, such as the student-led magazine, podcast, mentorship program, school outreach, etc., or create and run their own special project. Students can also design and complete their own localization-related research project, participate in an internship in a real-world company, or work for a nonprofit organization such as Women in Localization or The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA). The projects and internships all have a learning component, and students are expected to share their experiences with each other to foster knowledge sharing.

Below is a list of current projects for Localization Practicum Section A:

Section B led by Professor Klaudinyova is run in conjunction with a fall Program Management class. TLM students are paired with industry mentors to design strategies for different localization programs. Students work with senior localization professionals and explore the real world of multinational companies expanding into international markets (for buyer-side programs) or the ins and outs of the work of Localization Service Providers (LSPs)—who are the localization agencies supporting buyers, executing the work and enabling the global expansion.

Below is a list of current projects for Localization Practicum Section B:

Translation Practicum

The Translation Practicum is a project-based course. Each student must translate at least 5000 words of a book, publication, etc. of their choice, with the exception of the students who work as interns for Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank. They, too, must submit at least 5000 words of translation. In addition to the translation, each student must submit a glossary of at least 50 unique words or expressions (not found in common dictionaries) and a diary, tracking their work (difficulties, solutions, pitfalls, etc.). Students could select a piece that they have always wanted to translate.

Below is a list of current participants and their projects:

The Interpretation Practicum student interpreters support numerous lectures and events by providing interpretation services, engaging in uniquely-designed workshops during regular class times, including Multilingual Practice sessions, and participating in onsite visits requiring adaptation to complex environments and challenging conditions, like a recent trip to Point Lobos. 

They also assist MIIS events with language access such as the Mini-Monterey Model (Bridging Words: Language as a Tool for Conflict Transformation & Peacebuilding), the Translators for Elders Speaker Series, and French author Anne Dumontier’s book presentation co-organized with French Professor Abdelkader Berramoun and Monterey Alliance Française. Additionally, practicum students provide multilingual interpretation during the Waves of Change: Our Lives and Water Fall Forum and take on key roles, such as Chief Interpreter, Class Liaison, or as members of the Fall Forum Organizing Committee. These roles develop leadership skills while fostering teamwork with peers across different languages and cultures. 

Through events such as the Multilingual Panel Discussion on Cultural Differences, students explore cultural nuances while interpreting between languages like French, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese and are introduced to industry-standard tools, including remote interpretation platforms and technical equipment, enabling them to stay current with the profession’s technological demands. The Interpretation Practicum is a transformative course that empowers students to transition from classroom learning to professional interpretation. By participating in diverse events and taking on leadership roles, students develop a wide array of skills, including technical expertise, cultural competence, teamwork, and resilience. The practicum’s immersive and hands-on approach not only prepares students for the demands of the interpretation profession but also instills them with the confidence and adaptability to excel in their future careers.