Hundreds of University of Iowa students spent their summer completing internships in their chosen fields of interest. However, a smaller group of nearly 70 took their experiences to the next level by completing internships abroad—allowing them to gain relevant, global experience while strengthening their intercultural communication skills, building confidence and adaptability, and becoming more proficient in a second language. Internships abroad are coordinated through IES Internships, a unit of the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES Abroad). IES Abroad is the international internship provider for the UI; student participation in the partnership has grown more than 40 percent since summer in 2016. This past summer, 69 UI students interned in 11 cities around the world through IES Internships.

A marketing and public relations internship with a small start-up company in Paris translated to work experiences that extend beyond typical “intern” duties for Taylor Odekirk, a marketing and journalism student from Waterloo, Iowa. Odekirk worked at Archive Valley, an online platform that connects people with archive resources from around the world. “A highlight of my internship was researching for the launch of Archive Valley’s public relations campaign,” said Odekirk.  She found journalists, news outlets, magazines, and blogs that reach Archive Valley’s target audience of documentary filmmakers and content creators. She also had the opportunity to work with a freelance PR professional who helped her create story pitches and a press release to be used in the campaign.