International Aboriginal Youth Internships Initiative

The International Aboriginal Youth Internships (IAYI) initiative provides opportunities for Aboriginal youth to participate in international internships in developing countries.

The program aims to:

• Improve the skills of young aboriginal women and men to engage in international development in the field
• Enhance the awareness and understanding of international development issues among young aboriginal women and men
• Increase the capacity of young aboriginal women and men interns to promote international development work in Canada
• Develop essential skills for employment of young aboriginal women and men

International Aboriginal youth internships consist of a two-month period in Canada and a four-month period spent in a developing country working on issues such as equality between men and women, the environment, health, education, small business development, and agriculture.

CIDA has selected eight organizations to deliver and manage the first round of internships. Organizations interested in applying to deliver future internships should keep in mind that the criteria may change. Information about new calls for proposals will be available here and on CIDA's Calls for Proposals page when available. The eight organizations offering internships in this round are:

• Canada World Youth
• Canadian Urban Institute
• Canadian Institute of Planners
• Aide internationale à l'enfance (AMIE) (in French)
• Atlantic Council for International Cooperation
• Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development
• Victoria International Development Education Association
• Comité de Solidarité/Trois-Rivières (in French)

How to apply

If you are an Aboriginal youth interested in international development work, the International Aboriginal Youth Internships initiative may be for you! In order to be eligible for an internship, you must:

• Hold a secondary school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED). Youth currently enrolled in a college or CÉGEP program are eligible for an internship as long as they will not graduate before the completion of their internship. Youth currently enrolled in university studies and in possession of a university degree or a college diploma are not eligible.
• Be between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time you sign the contract with the Canadian organization
• Be a Canadian or permanent resident of Canada
• Be of Aboriginal affiliation and willing to sign a CIDA self-declaration form

Some of the 2011-12 internships are now posted. Keep checking this website or subscribe to CIDA's RSS feeds for up-to-date information on internship opportunities.

Although the internship opportunities are displayed on the CIDA website, you must apply for positions directly with the Canadian organization responsible for managing the internship.

This initiative is part of CIDA's Global Citizens Program.