Work, live, and learn in English-speaking Belize. CELA works with nearly 50 host organizations, agencies, and clinics to place you in an internship in your field, from animal care and healthcare to business, education, Indigenous rights, and social science. Internships run in winter, spring, summer, or fall, including J-term and breaks, and can be shaped around your schedule and interests.
When you arrive, CELA staff pick you up and give you a two-day orientation on Belizean culture and your placement, so you start ready. Then you settle in and begin work. Your tasks depend on what your host organization needs at the time, so expect some variety and the occasional surprise. Our office in Belize is there for you 24/7.
Your accommodation is included and chosen so you can walk or take a short bus ride to work. You can live with a Belizean family in a homestay, with a private bedroom and a shared bathroom, or stay in a guest house with a single room and private bathroom. To apply, send a resume and a cover letter about the field you're interested in along with the CELA application, and we'll work with you to find the right placement.
Prefer a set program with fixed dates and price? Our partner Loop Abroad runs two Belize internships:
Requirements: A resume and cover letter with your application. Interns do best with a strong work ethic, self-motivation, and flexibility; some placements, especially with animals, have irregular hours.
Help care for injured or rescued animals at rehabilitation centers and prepare them for release, support educational programs with animals that cannot be released, or work in a small animal clinic alongside Belizean vet staff. You may travel around Belize for outreach or animal rescues.
Work in hospitals, clinics, and community health education programs, alongside Belizean professionals. CELA's partnership with the Ministry of Health places interns in its facilities across Belize. Public health interns focus on outreach and education, sometimes in remote communities.
Join local businesses and agencies in their everyday work: client relations, accounts, databases, marketing, and communications.
Work in daycare centers and primary and secondary schools, or with social programs in coaching, literacy, youth development, crisis counseling, and public health awareness. The Belize school year runs from early September to the end of June.
Work with local organizations that advocate for the rights and well-being of the Maya people of Belize, supporting outreach, advocacy, fundraising, and customary land rights work.
Gain hands-on experience in cultural and anthropological research, or with programs focused on culture and well-being, at government agencies, educational institutions, and research organizations.
Included in every Belize program.
Bringing a group?
Faculty can build any part of this program into a custom faculty-led group, along with the other clinical sites, guest lecturers, and field visits we offer in Belize.
