Two students will be selected for a unique summer internship experience at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in northern Japan. Japanese language skills are not required.
- Learn about international development and sustainable agriculture
- Build relationships and participate in community life with people from all over the world
- Contribute to the farm through farm work, meal preparation, office work, etc.
- Assist with fundraising, communications, and/or video production for the Asian Rural Institute (depending on the skills and interests of the student)
- Develop leadership and cross-cultural skills
Internship Dates at the Asian Rural Institute:
May 27-July 27 OR June 10-August 10
*If two St. Olaf students are selected, one student will intern for the first set of dates and one student will intern during the second set of dates.
Participants will also be expected to participate in two orientation meetings before they depart and a few days of writing and reflection after they return home.
Application Deadline: March 6, 2024 (see below for details)
Cost: Major expenses will be covered including: travel to and from Minneapolis to Tokyo (or similar expense from another airport), train ticket from Tokyo to the Asian Rural Institute, housing, food and tuition for 0.25-credit academic internship.
Interns will not receive a stipend and will need to cover miscellaneous expenses during their time at ARI.
Past Participants
2023 Participants: Michel Hernandez
2019 Participants: Sakura Honda, Ian Roback, and Karina Sieber
2018 Participants: Sophia McMonagle and Daniele Oblitas
2017 Participants: Iris Burbank and Abdul Wake
2016 Participant: Kaitlyn Howell
2015 Participants: Emily Bristol, Juliann Skarda and Alex Lao
2014 Participants: Joey Romness, Ida Sobotik
2013 Participants: Hawera Butta, Lisa Misch, and David Watson
Poster created by 2014 participants (Joey Romness ’16 and Ida Sobotik ’15)
Program Details
What will interns do?
- Work assignments are often determined by previous experience or skills of the volunteer, but people of all walks of life are welcomed. Some specific working sections available to volunteers include livestock, crops and vegetables, office work, meal service preparation and food processing. Most recent interns have expressed an interest to be placed on the farm. See here for more information about work at ARI.
- The work placement is only part of the ARI experience. Interns also are impacted by the aspect of living in community, living in cultural diversity, living in simplicity, self-sufficiency in food production and much more. There are ample opportunities for discussion with other interns, volunteers and participants.
- All interns keep a “growth file” where they note what they learn, what they find confusing, what irritates them. The purpose is for interns to track their emotions during the time at ARI.
- For more details about the program, visit their website.
Community Life at the Asian Rural Institute
ARI actively recruits people from the most marginalized rural communities from countries in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific to participate in a nine month long sustainable agriculture training and leadership development process. Each year there are about 30 participants in the program, from 14 -16 different countries. Please see here for a list of recent participants.
One very unique aspect of Asian Rural Institute as a school is that it is based on communal life, a life of sharing with people from all around the globe. Most of the ARI community members live together on or very near from the campus and each one is involved in the whole work of the school and farm. “From the growing and harvesting of food to its cooking and eating. From cleaning toilets in the morning to leading prayer times in at evening. We take our turn doing each part. Through living together we are able to constantly have learning opportunities and in fact see our community as a community of learning. Coming together as people of fundamentally different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds, we dare to live together, equally sharing experiences, overcoming struggles and enjoying each others’ presence. It is in this experience of community that lasting personal transformation can happen. It provides the nurturing ground for servant leadership growth.” (ARI website)
Lifestyle/Daily Schedule
All community members work about 10 hours M-F and one and a half hours each Saturday. Everyone is involved in “foodlife work” twice per day, in addition to their assigned work. Even on the weekends, there will be one to two hours of chores. Interns should expect limited privacy and limited free time. They will have a roommate, usually someone from another country. Evening programs are optional. They involve various activities such as bible study, choir, movie nights, English classes, inter-religious dialogue.
Support and challenge for students who identify as LGBTQIA+
ARI’s motto is “that we may live together” and there is a strong commitment to community building and inclusion. At the same time, they are aware that people who identify as LGBTQIA+ may experience particular challenges.
From the Asian Rural Institute: Many of the participants (rural leaders from all of the world) would be meeting a non-cis-gendered person for the first time, and some will have some discomfort and disagreement regarding gender identity. So an LGBT individual interested in applying to ARI‘s internship should be ready to [potentially] face discrimination from our participants. While they will receive support from other volunteers (and staff members on an individual basis) it’s extremely difficult for the ARI institution itself to take a policy position, precisely due to the diversity of people who come and stay here.”
Please reach out to Nate Jacobi or Paul Jackson if you would like to discuss this further.
St. Olaf Support
Sponsored by the Piper Center for Vocation & Career. Paul Jackson, Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Studies, will serve as the faculty supervisor. Interested students can reach out to Paul Jackson or Nate Jacobi (Piper Center for Vocation and Career) with questions about the program.
Application Process
Desired Qualifications
- Current sophomore or junior
- Interest in sustainable agriculture and organic farming
- Interest in development at the community-level
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Experience in international settings and/or working with people from diverse cultures
- Cultural sensitivity, open-mindedness
- Aptitude for farm work
- Maturity
- Interest in and commitment to simple living (some familiar foods may not be available)
- Adaptability
- Ability to work independently, to reflect on experiences
- Capacity to take initiative to involve oneself in the life of the ARI community
- Openness to participating in a community that is grounded in some Christian traditions (do not need to be Christian)
How to Apply
Please complete the following components by the deadline:
- Online Application Form
Must include one faculty reference (not a recommendation). Can save and edit at a later date. - Apply through Handshake and Upload a Resume
If you would like assistance with developing your resume, please stop by the Piper Center and meet with a Peer Advisor.
Instructions for applying through Handshake:- In Handshake, search and apply for the “Community Development in Asia 2024” under internships.
- Apply for the position and upload a resume (one page).
The Asian Rural Institute will select which student(s) are selected for the program.