From New York City to Lima, Students Complete Practicum Projects This Summer
This summer, Middlebury Institute students are completing experiential learning courses, practicum courses, and research theses all over the country and globe. Whether conducting independent research or working with external organizations, MIIS students are gaining hands-on experience while contributing actively to their fields.
These experiential learning and practicum courses empower students to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world challenges. By engaging deeply with urgent policy questions, students pursue evidence-based solutions to complex issues across diverse sectors.
International Policy and Development, Global Governance and Policy, and International Trade Practicum
Students from our International Policy and Development (IPD), Global Governance and Policy (GGP), and International Trade (ITED) programs have the opportunity to participate in meaningful experiences tailored to their professional goals. Students may choose to undertake a work project within an organization where they are employed or interning, collaborate on a client project with a partner organization, or engage in independent academic research that can be published in an academic journal or self- published via Middlebury’s digital platforms.
Below is a list of current student participants with their work location and organization.
| Name | Organization | Location |
| Hunter Rayburn | U.N. Office of Disarmament Affairs CAB | New York, NY |
| Ellie Crist | Community Homeless Solutions | Marina, CA |
| Tarrah Skye Safran | Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) | Lima, Peru |
| Rachel Halliday | Public Consulting Group | Boston, MA |
| Levi Mahler | Amnesty International USA | Washington, DC (remote) |
| Nathan Palmer | Independent Study: Program Success in the Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery | Vancouver, WA |
| K. Chavira | First Gen Empower and UNICEF Liberia Child Protection Unit | Monterey, CA and Monrovia, Liberia (remote) |
| Katie Vorse | Independent Study: Russian Diaspora Perspectives on US–Russia Relations | Sacramento, CA |
| Olivia Centis | UNICEF | Bangkok, Thailand (remote) |
| Charles McKenna | People First | Santa Cruz, CA |
| Mary Cardon | UNICEF | Nairobi, Kenya (remote) |
| Christian Beltran | Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) | Quito, Ecuador |
| Jessica Frazier | Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) | Washington, D.C. |
| Virginia Lee | People First | Santa Cruz, CA |
It was really rewarding to see concepts from our classes come to life in a real-world context. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to work with FAO. It’s exciting to be part of an organization doing impactful work in exactly the field I hope to pursue.
International Education Management
The practicum of the International Education Management (IEM) program is a critical opportunity for students to combine their academic knowledge with experience in the field managing international education programs. IEM students are working across the world with study abroad programs, language immersion programs, and other university programs.
Below is a list of current student participants with their work location and organization.
| Name | Organization | Location |
| Katie Claggett | CEA CAPA Education Abroad | Spain |
| Katherine Garcia | Alliance Francaise of Monterey | Monterey, CA |
| Miles Leonard | Payap University | Chiang Mai, Thailand |
| Viviana Mendoza | National Louis University | Chicago, IL |
| Sarat Osborne | Marshall Elementary School/MPUSD | Monterey, CA |
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 to perform hands-on work with an external organization in their fields of interest.
Below is a list of current student participants with their work location and organization.
| Name (Program) | Organization | Location |
| McKenzie Ploen | Environmental Defense Fund | San Francisco, CA |
| Emma Holm-Olsen | Environmental Defense Fund | San Francisco, CA |
| Eliot Fisher | Center for Ocean Leadership | Boulder, CO (remote) |
| Natalie Garza | Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Sylvie Alexander | Environmental Defense Fund | San Francisco, CA (remote) |
| Morfett Flores | Cabrillo College and Mogressive Strategy Coaching | Aptos, CA |
Master of Public Administration in Sustainability Practicum
The online MPA in Sustainability prepares students to lead initiatives for governments, nonprofits, and businesses to advance environmentally sustainable solutions. Students develop skills in sustainability and climate science, policy and social justice, sustainability assessment and disclosure, and sustainability strategy and action through real-world projects.
Below is a list of current participants, along with their organizations and locations.
| Name | Organization | Location |
| Alice Maiden | New York State Office of Resilient Homes and Communities: Blue Buffers Voluntary Flood Risk Buyout Program Impact Assessment | New York, NY |
| Elekcia Clegg | Avient: Staff Survey on Plant Sustainability Initiatives | Phoenix, AZ |
About Practicum
Practicum placements reflect the range of organizations where our graduates make their careers, including nonprofits, consultancies, federal, state, and local governments, the private sector, international organizations, and think tanks.
Practicum planning begins in the first semester, supported by faculty with strong professional networks, guest speakers, alumni mentors, and conference opportunities. We congratulate our students on their hard work securing these positions and completing these robust projects.
- Students,
- Experiential Learning,
- International Education Management,
- International Policy and Development,
- International Trade and Economic Diplomacy,
- Translation and Interpretation,
- Translation and Localization Management,
- TESOL and Teaching Foreign Language,
- Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies,
- Master of Public Administration,
- Global Governance and Policy
For More Information
Experiential Learning
experientiallearning@middlebury.edu