Diversity

Participating in an in-person or remote internship means you will have the opportunity to get to know people from across the world and immerse yourself in different cultures. Although our programs are based in Europe, our participants and hosts form a diverse community of people from all walks of life, with a wide range of age, backgrounds, education level and nationalities. Through these internships, you will have the chance to not only learn about the host country culture, but also the culture of other participants that intern with you. Over 90% of our participants travel on their own, making it very easy to bond with other interns. During your internship, it is advised to try and become part of the local community, explore new places, be open to new ideas and experience new things. For this, you will need to have a desire to grow as a person, become self-aware of your abilities and get out of your comfort zone. Internships are all about creating friendships, cultural awareness and embracing diversity. Our programs attract participants from all over the world, creating an inclusive environment that encourages interns to immerse themselves in the local culture with respect and understanding.

Our alumni enjoyed their internship in every program and location offered by Cerca Abroad, and the following mini-guide will prepare new participants embarking on their journey abroad. With that said, our guide does not aim to generalize and simplify our participant’s experiences. Every personality is unique and enriched with various social identities and personal histories.

Statistics

One in five participants do not have English as their first language, providing an excellent opportunity for learning about other languages and practicing cross-cultural communication.
One in twenty of our interns were born in or originate from one of our program hosting locations and permanently reside in another. This makes internships a way to reconnect with their cultural roots or rediscover family heritage.
Four out of five are aged 20-30 and the rest belong to a wide age group, proving there is no age limit to our programs. This is an opportunity to learn from people with different life experiences and backgrounds.
This year, we had participants from 40 countries and 6 continents, hosting a very diverse mix of ideas & experiences.

BIPOC

Each participant’s identity may present challenges and questions, in addition to opportunities, when immersing in a new and different culture.

Handling Cultural Shock
Exploring a new culture can sometimes lead to experiencing a cultural shock as some places have different cultural norms, varying levels of racial/ethnic diversity, and are less aware or not so “politically correct” as your home country might be.

How to manage and understand
Spend time learning about the place you are planning to visit and self-reflect:

How diverse is it and what are the cultural norms/stereotypes?
What parts of your identity are important to you and how is this seen in the new place?
How will you react if something/someone is offensive?
How to explore the new culture without losing your identity?
Would I need any item that is difficult to find abroad?

Remember to always place your safety and well-being first, and if any situation makes you feel uncomfortable, step-out and if needed to notify a Cerca Abroad coordinator immediately.

Interactions with other Interns
It is expected that you will socialize and work with people from all over the world and from diverse backgrounds, experiences and awareness. This multicultural exposure is expected and desired as it can broaden your horizons, and help you learn and experience new ways of thinking. This interaction might also have uncomfortable moments facing others’ perspectives.

How to manage and understand

Evaluate the intent: Was it a well-intentioned mistake from someone not aware or not?
You can always say no: Feel free not to give any information about yourself, your ideas, your racial/ethnic group and/or respectfully ask to change the subject.
Constructive dialogue: Use questions to understand each others beliefs.

Support Network
Finding yourself in a new environment may cause feelings of alienation and the need to approach like-minded people.

How to manage and understand

Communicate frequently with family/friends back home.
Join activities to mingle with locals and make new friends.
Link with other BIPOC interns or BIPOC locals to join an event or discuss topics on ethnicity/race.
Feel free to reach out to your Cerca Abroad coordinators for advice, support, events etc

LGBTQAI+

All our staff and local host teams are welcoming and inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community, making our programs LGBTQIA+ friendly. Many LGBTQIA+ participants might express their identity in new ways while abroad; being either eager or hesitant to share it.

Handling cultural shock
In a new environment it is natural to experience a cultural shock, especially when it comes to sexuality-related differences. Some places have different cultural norms, laws, diversity levels, and are less aware or not so “politically correct” as your home country might be.

How to manage and understand
Spend time to learn about your the place you are planning to visit and self-reflect:

How diverse it is and what are the cultural norms/stereotypes?
Read up on local LGBTQIA+ policies/laws (i.e. Greece: equaldex.com/region/greece)
Language barriers: Certain languages have nouns, verbs, and adjectives based on the subject’s/object’s perceived or assigned gender, that might lead to feelings of frustration.
How is gender expression/sexual diversity seen in the new place?
How will you react if something/someone is offensive?
How to explore the new culture without losing your identity?
Feel free to keep your identity private or share it with whomever you wish

Remember to always place your safety and well-being first, and if any situation makes you feel uncomfortable, step-out and if needed to notify a Cerca Abroad coordinator immediately.

Traveling & Accommodations
Traveling to a new place far away from home may pose logistical issues for many people and an LGBTQIA+ identity might bring additional considerations:

Ensure that all your travel documents match in terms of name and gender label. Different information might lead to extra security checks and denial to travel or entry to a country
Be aware of your travel rights (e.g.. US Airports: transequality.org/know-your-rights/airport-security)
The accommodation offered in our programs is same-gendered or mixed-gender in randomly allocated private or shared rooms. If you have any concerns, feel free to contact the Cerca Abroad program manager to discuss housing options at least 60 days before arrival.

How to manage and understand

Evaluate the intent: Was it a well-intentioned mistake from someone not aware or not?
You can always say no: Feel free not to give any information about your self, your ideas, your gender, sex, or sexuality and/or respectfully ask to change the subject.
Constructive dialogue: Use questions to understand each others beliefs

Support Network
Finding yourself in a new environment may cause alienating feelings and the need to approach like-minded people.

How to manage and understand

How to manage and understand
Communicate frequently with family/friends back home.
Join activities to mingle with locals and make new friends.
Link with other LGBTQIA+ interns or LGBTQIA+ locals to join an event or discuss topics surrounding gender, sex, and sexuality.
Feel free to reach out to your Cerca Abroad coordinators for advice, support, events etc

Accessibility & Neurodivergency

Cerca Abroad welcomes and supports participants that are Differently-abled/neurodivergent or have limited mobility conditions (including wheelchair users) and offers a range of internship abroad programs that are specifically adapted to host interns. All our remote internship programs are fully accessible to those that are Differently-abled/neurodivergent or have mobility disabilities / physical constraints. Although participants with neurodivergency or limited mobility have successfully participated in our programs, due to the nature of the abroad programs, the degree of access varies based on the activities, location and available infrastructure. Hence, at the application stage it is important to discuss with your Cerca Abroad program manager the program’s accessibility aspects and requirements.

Program considerations

The host or the internship location may not have the same or similar resources or views on neurodivergency or accessibility as your home country.
Different travel laws/regulations and country norms might apply outside your home country (Tips: miusa.org/going-abroad-tip-sheets).
Plan your journey to and from the internship learning if the transportation means (bus, airplane etc.) and transit locations (i.e. airports) are accessible.
Prescription medications may not be available at the internship location or may not be permitted on board an airplane. Please consult your physician for alternative medication and your Cerca Abroad coordinator for availability in local pharmacies (Tips: miusa.org/resource/tip-sheets/medications).
Would I need any item that is difficult to find abroad?

Remember to bring along any mobility related equipment/devices that you might need during your trip. Cerca Abroad does not supply any mobility-related apparatus.

Interactions with other Interns
It is expected that you will socialize and work with people from all over the world and from diverse backgrounds, experiences and awareness. This multicultural exposure is expected and desired as it can broaden your horizons, and help you learn and experience new ways of thinking. This interaction might also lead to uncomfortable moments facing others’ perspectives.

How to manage and understand

Evaluate the intent: Was it a well-intentioned mistake from someone not aware or not?
You can always say no: Feel free not to give any information about your self, your medical status and/or respectfully ask to change the subject.
Constructive dialogue: Use questions to understand each others beliefs

Support Network
Finding yourself in a new environment may cause alienating feelings and the need to approach like-minded people.

How to manage and understand

Communicate frequently with family/friends back home.
Join activities to mingle with other interns or locals and make new friends.
Feel free to reach out to the Cerca Abroad staff for advice, support, events etc.

Accommodation
The accommodation options offered in our programs are sourced through a range of external providers and may or may not be easily accessible, and any structural adjustment for the latter may not be possible.The availability of mobility-accessible housing depends on, but is not limited to, the nature of the buildings available at the time,the ease of to reaching the location, and your flexibility regarding program dates. Additionally, housing options may be same-gendered or mixed-gender in randomly allocated private or shared rooms. If you have any mobility or accommodation-related concerns, feel free to contact the Cerca Abroad program manager to discuss housing options at least 60 days before arrival.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Our company strictly adheres to a non-discrimination policy of not denying any person access to or participation in benefits, or be discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, pregnancy, marital or parental status, physical condition or developmental disability.

Participants will only be advised against participating in a program if for any reason it is deemed that it poses a risk to their safety and well-being due to a change in local conditions, hence making it unsuitable to intern.

All program participants must agree to abide by this non-discrimination policy and accept that any evidence of discrimination in any form will result in instant dismissal from the program with no refund.

Mental Health
Mental health support is available for all participants, either in person or remotely. Feel free to contact your Cerca Abroad coordinators if you require assistance or clarifications.

For more information please Contact Us.