Internships

The Action‑Research Internship engages youth from Grade 11 through university in a structured, research‑focused learning environment that strengthens their capacities while enabling them to contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing and progress of their communities. Rooted in the principle of coherence, the internship helps groups of young people explore together how education, work, family responsibilities, and service can be approached as interconnected dimensions of a unified life. It also provides practical support as they prepare for their futures, ensuring that service to the community and personal advancement reinforce one another rather than compete.

Training

Interns participate in training sessions using educational materials developed by La Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias (FUNDAEC), drawing on decades of community‑based action research in Colombia.

These materials help youth develop the knowledge, habits, and skills needed to promote the wellbeing of their communities. Through cycles of study, discussion, and application, interns learn to think systematically, analyze social conditions, and approach community challenges with clarity and purpose.

Action

Each intern undertakes a specific program of action‑research shaped by the needs and realities of their neighborhood.

Many interns currently work in the areas of mathematics and language education, while others contribute to adolescent and adult English‑language acquisition. In previous years, research projects have also explored the health and economic lives of young people. Through these efforts, interns gather and analyze information, test ideas in practice, and generate insights that inform both their own development and broader educational and community‑building initiatives. Their work directly supports the upliftment of their communities and strengthens Wordswell’s institutional learning.

Mentorship

Every intern is paired with a mentor—professionals, graduate students, and university faculty who volunteer their time.

Mentors guide interns in gaining clarity about the decisions before them and support their advancement in all aspects of life. Through this relationship, interns receive structured support navigating practical matters such as finances, health, family life, higher education, and work. Mentorship also reinforces habits of disciplined effort, thoughtful reflection, and purposeful service.

Strengthening and Extending Institutional Learning

As interns document their observations and collaborate with peers and mentors, they also contribute to Wordswell’s institutional learning.

Their insights help extend our understanding of how youth can advance in all aspects of life while supporting the wellbeing of their neighbourhoods. In recent years, the program has expanded to communities across Ontario and Quebec, broadening the number of young people engaged in this evolving learning process and strengthening Wordswell’s research efforts across multiple regions.

  • “This internship has helped me think about my studies and future career through the research component. I enjoyed reading the articles and applying their research to mine. It has helped me further develop my research and speaking skills. I’m still thinking about being a lawyer, but now I’m thinking about how I can use the law to help my community”

    — Intern

  • “I found it very interesting that I had the opportunity to basically create a proposal. I looked at the health outcomes of people in my neighborhood. I was focused on moms and how they and the community shape the health outcomes of the youth and the other moms in the in the neighborhood.”

    — Intern

  • “I find myself being connected to more communities, meeting new people. I connect with families and friends in the neighborhood more. The internship has helped me to reflect on what I’ve done in the past and what I can do better in the future.”

    — Intern

  • "I think about different careers that involve helping people in my community grow strong together. I have learned that building coherence and connections between the internship, my studies, and serving in the neighborhood needs to be done equally and time must be given for it."

    — Intern