Internships & Practice Opportunities

Internship Opportunities

The Harrisonburg International Festival (HIF) seeks to give interns hands-on experience in civic engagement, event planning, marketing, fundraising, community organizing, and cultural and language education. The Festival will connect interns with a broader field of work to develop a variety of organizational and interpersonal skills.

Every semester HIF’s new interns are placed to support one or more key areas of the planning of every year’s Festival celebration and support the work of our umbrella organization, FairField Center. They collaborate with event planning, communications, marketing, logistics, establishing relationships with food and art vendors in the Harrisonburg area, booking the performances for main and secondary stage, organizing the children’s activities, among other related tasks. Interns will have the opportunity to share their own personal reflections about our food, art, and cultural diversity in HIF’s interns’ blog.

Throughout the semester, interns represent HIF in local community events and get to know our staff, volunteers, and our organizational functioning and model. Additionally, interns will develop relationships with groups from different language and cultural backgrounds. The planning of the Festival is a fun process that contributes to every student’s professional growth.

HIF hopes to provide unique mentoring opportunities and encourage this generation to contribute to the planning of a wonderful event, our cultural education, and the well-being of our community.

Event Management and Hospitality Intern

Provides support to the planning committees of the different areas of the Festival, especially close communication and works with the Logistics team. Attends and helps Vendors, Sponsors, Performers, Fashion Show, Children’s Activities, among other participants of the Festival with registration process, participation, and all needs before, during, and after the culmination of the event. Contacts and follows up with art and food vendors, sponsors, volunteers, staff, and persons interested in the Festival.

Fundraising and Marketing Intern

Provides support to the Fundraising team and helps design yearly marketing strategy. Monitors changes in data base, creates embedded forms, links, and media content promoting the Festival with videos, photos, blogs, posters, and news feed. She/he follows up with sponsor and donor’s communication, contacts local and regional news outlets to highlight Festival’s music and dance performers, international clothing fashion show, art and food vendors, and other activities of the Festival.

Volunteer Coordinator Intern

Recruits and coordinates volunteers for before, during, and after the culmination of the Festival. Monitors volunteer database ensuring that all areas of the Festival count on enough participation to execute the well development of the event. Volunteer coordinator works closely with Logistics Team in providing the right amount of people for each activity.

Entertainment Intern

Provides support and works closely with Entertainment Team to book, MC, and manage all performances in main and secondary stages. She/he will contact new dance and music performers, help coordinate their participation and needs before, during, and after the festival. Ensure that performers sign all agreements and comply with Festival’s policies.

Activities Intern

Provides support and coordination to Activities Team responsible for developing participatory activities with children and parents. Some of these activities are, but not limited to, creating origami, peace flags, murals, friendship bracelets, cultural masks, blooming flowers, face painting, sidewalk chalk, among others. She/he will plan according to festival budget and keep track of expenses and logistics for these activities and communicate directly with Activities Team about each activities’ needs.

Application Instructions

Interns are required to work between 350 to 400 hours. HIF under the umbrella of the FairField Center will work with students to arrange for university credit or practice opportunities. In order to be considered for an internship, HIF needs the following materials:

1. A short letter of interest in which you state:

Why you want to intern at the Harrisonburg International Festival
Your specific dates of availability
Your internship preference
That you understand the internship is unpaid

2. Resume

3. Two references

Please submit all application material to [email protected] indicating your name and the word “intern” in the subject line. Give us a call (540) 434.0059 or send us an e-mail if you need additional information.

(We are still receiving applications for Summer and Fall interns)