As a small organization, we love to work with students to create an internship that works with your major and schedule. We have two programs, one based in the Us and one based in panama.

Meet Your Hosts: Panama Country Director, Alan Foster, Colleen Foster, and family

Joseph Prince - Summer 2024 Internship Experience

“This summer I had the distinct pleasure and privilege to work with Solea Water in Panama through a UChicago Metcalf Internship Grant. Throughout my time in Panama, I primarily worked alongside Fernando Dumasá, who was extremely welcoming and caring. We mostly worked on two projects in La Bonga and Baja Puru building solar-powered satellite WIFI and clean potable water systems. Even though I have little experience in engineering or construction, it was rewarding to be involved so directly with the projects. My favorite part of my time in Panama was the relationships I made, including with the Embera children in Baja Puru, a family of farmers in Catrigandi, and my coworkers like Fernando, Jaime, and the Fosters. I also enjoyed immersively practicing my Spanish. I think the most challenging aspect of the trip was simply being away from my family and friends for the duration of the trip. I’m grateful that I had this wonderful opportunity to explore and experience a different life and country while doing something good and meaningful.”

Sophie Moore - Summer 2021 Internship Experience

“I had the privilege of interning with Solea the summer of 2021. I did a combination of an in-country and a remote internship. I have only positive words about my internship. I am a person who is constantly doing something, and this internship was perfect for that. In Panama I lived with the Foster family, life was always changing and I had all kinds of projects that produced a lot of fun memories. My 'job' in Panama was to collect data in different indigenous communities so that when I returned to the states my remote job would be putting it together into water distribution models. My favorite part was being able to live with the Fosters, they are such an incredible and fun family and they really took me in as their own while I was there. My favorite experience was going to Nazaret, an indigenous community near the border of Colombia. I felt so welcomed, loved, and celebrated when I was in this community and that was just a really cool feeling. They were getting their water system finished while we were there, I loved seeing the people's excitement and just learning how these water systems worked. The most challenging thing was definitely the language barrier, before my time in Panama I did a little language prep but it didn't really prepare me at all for my time there. Thankfully I was with people who could translate for me but not knowing Spanish well made me feel very isolated at times. It was really cool to make relationships with the indigenous people despite this barrier. I am very thankful for the time I was able to spend in Panama and know that it won't be my last. I look forward to continuing my internship and learning so much more along the way.”

US Based Internship:

Solea Water is looking for an intern to support the organization through marketing, administrative tasks and research. The internship will be done remotely from anywhere in the US with a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week. The program is designed for students or young professionals who are in a related degree program or field. The intern will serve alongside the US based team to complete a variety of organizational tasks with a focus on marketing, including:

• social media 

• writing content, and curating visual content

• website updates 

• email marketing

as well as a variety of other tasks that a small nonprofit organization encounters, including but not limited to: 

• researching new technology, statistics, grants

• assisting the executive director

• compiling reports for both projects and organizational transparency

The intern will report directly to the Executive Director, but will also work closely with Country Directors and the Marketing Director.

Timeframe:

• The time frame for this program is flexible to meet the needs of the intern, but has a preferred time frame of a semester (ex, Jan-May, May-Aug, Aug-Dec)

Qualifications:

• Highly adaptable, flexible personality that can react to the needs of a small organization

• Values: proactivity, diligence, integrity, hard working, self motivated

• Familiar with online productivity tools for working remotely (zoom, google drive, etc) 

• Able to quickly learn a variety of tech, software

• Experience working with websites (Squarespace preferred), creating marketing content, social media planning

• Ability to tell stories through multimedia (writing, photography, video)

• Related BA degree (in progress or completed)

Logistics:

• Program can be done from anywhere, but our team is located in the St. Louis area (preference will be for local applicants)

• Program is 100% support raised, meaning the intern will raise funds for a stipend or may be done as a volunteer. Position is for a contractual employee who is responsible for all of their own taxes.

• Fundraising platform and back-end accounting is provided by Solea Water

• Internship will comply with all local health department regulations regarding COVID 19

Panama In Country Internship:

Solea Water is looking for hard working, flexible individuals for our internship program based in Panama. The program is designed for students or young adults who are in a related degree program or field (public health, international development, engineering, Spanish, etc) with a working Spanish proficiency to join our in country team. Our organization comes alongside indigenous communities to implement and maintain public water systems with a focus on community based asset development, community empowerment, capacity building, and long term sustainability in addition to providing a safe source of water for a community. 

Timeframe:

• Internship lengths can be flexible, with the ideal position taking place over 3 months for up to 12 months

• As a small organization, we can be very flexible to other school/work obligations and would like to work with applicants to find a time frame that works for everyone.

There are several areas of focus for this program: 

• Project Implementation: implementation and maintenance of large scale water systems in rural communities (experience required).

• Project monitoring: travel to a variety of communities to conduct surveys, take photos and videos of projects/in communities for both marketing and reporting, and create maps of water systems using a drone.

• Building capacity: work in indigenous communities through supporting water committees, keeping administrative records, utilizing water meters, etc.

• WASH: organize and conduct health workshops and trainings (significant experience and high level Spanish fluency required).

Qualifications:

• Spanish proficiency

• Able to read/write/translate reports in Spanish and English

• Highly adaptable, flexible personality that can react to the needs of a developing context

• Values: proactivity, diligence, integrity, hard working, self motivated, humility

• International travel experience

• Comfortable “roughing it” in a village setting for several days at a time (ex: sleeping on a camping pad/in a hammock, using latrines, dealing with tropical bugs, rough travel, eating indigenous foods, bathing in a river)

• Ability to work on teams in a cross cultural environment with a high level of integrity

• Familiar with online productivity tools for working remotely (zoom, google drive, etc) 

• Able to quickly learn a variety of tech, software, and tools (drones, cameras, video, lab equipment as applies to focus of program)

• Experience with area of interest required for implementation/WASH internships

• Related BA degree (in progress or completed)

Logistics:

• Lodging and transportation will be coordinated with our in country team

• Program is 100% support raised, meaning the intern will raise funds for their stipend and travel (if desired). Position is for a contractual employee who is responsible for all of their own taxes.

• Fundraising platform and back end accounting is provided by Solea Water

• Internship will comply with all local health department regulations regarding COVID 19

FAQs

• How much will I have to fundraise?

  • Past interns have raised about $1500-2000 per month of the internship. Funds have to be 100% raised before traveling to the field to begin the program.

• What are the accommodations like?

  • Past interns have stayed in the country director’s family home, occasionally in hostel-like accommodations in the city with a private room, A/C, and high speed internet, while also making intermittent trips to communities where accommodations are more akin to “camping” with an indigenous host family in their home.

• Will I be traveling to communities by myself?

  • This will depend on the experience level and willingness of the applicant.

• What are the health risks of working in Panama?

  • The CDC provides a list of recommended shots, and we can share the experience and recommendations of other short-term workers. We provide orientation for best practices to avoid common illnesses such as waterborne and fecal transmitted diseases. Due to the current status of covid-19, internships for the near future should be considered tentative and will depend on the evolving conditions and perceived risks for all involved. 

Application Process:

• Complete online application

• Phone interview with Executive Director

• Zoom interview with Executive Director and Country Director