Mercy Corps and USAID Expand Internship Opportunities for Students at Minority-Serving Institutions

23 January 2024

International development internships  launching initially with USAID-funded Mercy Corps programs in Liberia 

The global humanitarian and development organization Mercy Corps is partnering with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to expand internship opportunities in international development for students at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). MSIs are focused on serving minority populations and comprise more than 400 institutions across the United States,  including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Howard University and Spelman College and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) like California State University Los Angeles and Texas A&M International University.

Initial internships through the collaboration will be available in USAID-funded Mercy Corps programs in Liberia, with expansion planned to programs in other locations globally. 

Kristine Wilson Andrade, Mercy Corps Employer Brand and University Relations Manager, says: 

“Our aim is that Minority-Serving Institution internships will give students of color the opportunity to explore careers in international development while also creating a more diverse team member base at Mercy Corps, starting with a critical pipeline of talent: our entry-level talent bench. Racial inequities and our industry’s historical legacy of colonialism are among the most significant drivers of disparity in our sector, and intentionally introducing young people of color to career opportunities in international development is a critical way to address this.” 

Since Summer 2020, Mercy Corps has collaborated with HBCUs and HSIs by designing specialized internship opportunities for students. The partnership expands on this initial collaboration with USAID’s participation. The continued evolution of the internship program intends to include Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), establish a more robust onboarding program for MSI students new to international development, and introduce dual-location US and international fellowships for MSI students.

Students interested in applying for internship opportunities at USAID-funded Mercy Corps programs in Liberia can apply here.

Mercy Corps is a global team of nearly 6,000 humanitarians working to create a world where everyone can prosper. In more than 40 countries affected by crisis, disaster, poverty and climate change we work alongside communities, local governments, forward-thinking corporations and social entrepreneurs to meet urgent needs and develop long-term solutions to make lasting change possible. Mercy Corps has a total operating budget of over $550M and in 2022 reached over 29 million people in 2023 . 

For more information, please contact:

  • Tracey Compton, Senior Media and Communications Coordinator (based in East Coast, U.S. time zone) at tcompton@mercycorps.org.

  • Our full media team is reachable at allmediarelations@mercycorps.org.