Programs

Russian Language and Area Studies

Volunteer/Internship Opportunities

Upon request, American Councils staff will arrange internships or community service placements for academic year and semester RLASP participants. While American Councils does not arrange formal internship placements due to the brevity of the program, summer participants are encouraged to pursue volunteer opportunities. Internship placements depend significantly on the participant’s Russian-proficiency level and the needs of the Russian organization. Internships are unpaid and non-credit bearing; therefore, American Councils strongly encourages students to pursue internships and community service activities in fields which are of interest to them. American Councils asks that students realistically evaluate their time commitments while in Russia, in order to maximize the experience of an internship or community service.

Participants consistently rate their internships and community service as substantive and valuable; many former students report that their out-of-classroom experiences gave them unique insights into Russian society and language, as well as a deep sense of personal fulfillment.

Program participants have recently completed internships at the following organizations:

Academy of Sciences, Carnegie Moscow Center, Center of International Cooperation, DHL Office, Future Leaders American Corner, German Forwarding Company, Greenpeace, Hermitage Museum, Herzen University Newsletter, International Banking Institute, KORA Café, Lenfilm Studios, Moscow Times, Museum of the Bolshoy Theatre, Museum of the Political History of Russia, National Institute of Democracy, St. Petersburg Merchant’s Club, Social Initiatives Assistance Institute, Social Workers’ Center of Vladimir, Vitrina Press, Women's Crisis Center in Vladimir.

For more detailed information on internships and community service placements, please visit the Internships page in the News from the Field section.

"I learned a lot of new words, how to navigate and conduct myself in a Russian office environment, and a lot about the non-profit sector and NGOs in Russia. I do think that my Russian was enhanced, both in that I was exposed to an entire new category of words that had not been a part of my vocabulary, and in that I was regularly conversing with Russians. It was the best aspect of my stay in Russia." Alison, St. Petersburg, Spring 2005

"[At the Hermitage Theatre,] I learned how to properly act in a professional work situation in Russia, how the theatre works in Moscow and a little bit about culture. I heard only proper, grammatically correct Russian and this was very beneficial to my Russian. Additionally, we spoke to our coworkers only in Russian. This was also a great opportunity." – Rory, St. Petersburg, Fall 2007