Internships

Teaching

Uttarakhand is a major educaction hub with some of the best schools in the country. However, most local children in the villages attend government schools that lack resources, so most children are unable to get the attention they require. Education interns teach in local schools during after-school sessions. Interns also tutor students after school at the Literacy Centre to ensure their success. Teaching interns will help students with homework, follow lesson plans, and develop their own creative means of making learning English fun for the students. Interns are encouraged to teach using games, crafts, music, and lots of conversational interaction.

Media

By working with ANKURI, the lives of countless women and their families have been improved for the better. The complex stories of these women and the society they have grown up in are just itching to be told. An international audience is eager to see the impact of ANKURI and the products we make in the lives of the communities we work with. Interns specializing in marketing, social media, photography, videography, and other storytelling platforms will find the perfect fit with a media internship at ANKURI.

farming

New!

The farming program encourages development of natural farming methods and food production in an area of India that used to focus on the practice but no longer places precedence on the quality of their food. At ANKURI's campus at Rikholi, high up in the mountains, farming interns will work on methods to improve crop production through pest management, crop rotation, irrigation, and soil quality. Interns can expect to gain the basic skills necessary for eventually managing their own farms and adopting permaculture principles. Farming interns will also be able to teach English to local schoolchildrem through ecology and hands-on farming experience. 

Design

Indian aesthetics include a wonderful variety of bright colors and bold patterns. Our knitwear is no different — tailoring specific styles and colour combinations to different platforms. Design interns will assist ANKURI workers in product design. Knitting experience is not necessary as long as you have a creative and adventurous mind!

Business

With the growth of our knitting and spinning programs comes the potential to expand beyond the Indian market. Business interns will explore how to tap into an international market for the ANKURI’s products through methods like expansion to e-commerce and other avenues.

Interns will be fully immersed in the day-to-day life of the Himalayan region. Our knitters and farmers have lived in this area for generations and house a wealth of knowledge. Interns will be able to learn about Indian culture from religion to politics to spirituality, and can experience it in action through excursions to Buddhist monasteries, Sikh gurdwaras, Hindu temples, bustling local markets, the holy Ganges River at Rishikesh, hikes and other cultural outings.

If you are interested in joining us as an intern, contact us for more details!

Cole Diehl - Princeton University, USA

Teaching & Farming Intern ’16, ’17, ’18

"Rachna took us in with open and welcoming arms and helped us quickly adapt to the new and exhilarating culture. Instead of teaching at the literacy center, the other interns and I traveled around the village to different local schools and taught multiple hour-long classes each day. Of course at first we were stepping into new waters, but pedagogies came naturally and before I knew it I was singing along with incredibly enthusiastic children and even teaching poetry and basic ecology to others! Other than teaching, I am helping initiate an outdoors experience program for children from urban areas at Rachna’s property in Rikholi. I am leading a trail-building project that will be a focus activity of the camp program. I am so glad to have worked with Rachna and ANKURI; interning here has truly humbled me and taught me the profundity of passion for change."

Luna Archey - University of Michigan, usa

Media Intern ’15, ’18

“The main project we worked on together was creating a book telling the stories of a few of the one hundred knitters that work for ANKURI. The connections and parallels that we have drawn between the knitters and the own women in our lives has helped to bring solidity to our knowledge of the culture. Blindly walking past the small houses and “namaste”-ing our way through encounters could never have fostered the solidarity I now feel with the women in these small villages. For them, knitting and working has brought peace of mind, talent, craftsmanship, and pride, along with financial freedom. I respect the conditions and the society that they have grown up in, and how they are moulding into independent women within them.”

Amanda Grayson - University of michigan, usa

Teaching and Media Intern ’15, ’18

“Upon arriving at ANKURI I was immediately blown away by the welcoming generosity of Rachna, as well as the stunning beauty of the surrounding foothills of the Himalayas that ANKURI's buildings are nestled in. The 5 weeks I spent teaching the energetic kids in ANKURI's literacy center, working on the websites, interviewing the women knitters, and building ANKURI's social media were some of the most challenging but rewarding ones of my life. Each day sharing home cooked delicious meals with the other two passionate Michigan interns and Rachna, we learned a great deal from Rachna's extensive knowledge and wisdom on many topics. Our discussions on everything from non-profit work to politics to religion to society gave me insight into my culture as well as the very different culture we were working in.”

Natalie Gale - Harvard University, USA

Teaching & Media Intern ’18

“The three months that I spent teaching and doing media work at ANKURI were exhilarating, challenging, ecstatic, and humbling. For three days each week, myself and two other teaching interns worked with elementary schoolers creating and executing our own original lesson plans. When I wasn’t teaching, I also managed ANKURI’s social media platforms. In this capacity, I was able to practice and develop my marketing and photography abilities. In addition to our formal work, Rachna generously provided so many unforgettable opportunities for learning about the religion, culture, and politics of India and Dehradun. Along with a few other interns, I was even able to embark on a glorious five-day hike through the Valley of Flowers National Park and Shri Hemkund Sahib. Throughout the summer, I was constantly humbled and inspired by the incredible people that comprise ANKURI. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to work alongside Rachna and her team, and I know I won’t stop missing the vibrant community that ANKURI works to uplift any time soon!”

Louis Deeney - Clarke University, Iowa, USA

Teaching Intern ’18

“ANKURI served as my home away from home where I met friends that I now consider family and took part in the day to day life that ANKURI gives its interns. While working at the schools, I was able to design lessons, teach, and help organise my awesome group of volunteer teachers! I will never forget their performances and goodbyes with the children on the last day of summer school. ANKURI showed me that I was ready to lead and that you can extend your family no matter where you are in the world.”

Bekah Beveridge - Westmont College, California, usa

Business Intern ’17

“Being here with ANKURI is much more than a work experience, it is an opportunity to grow and be challenged. In living here for a time, I have been given a lot of insight on how people do life in this part of the world. Through interning with ANKURI, I have been apart of interviewing local teachers of the nearby schools and through this experience I have been able to grow in my understanding of community dynamics and cultural norms. In my time here, I have also constructed a series of questionnaires to be distributed to different members of the community. Overall, learning from Rachna first hand has impacted me greatly as I learn more about different models for development work. Rachna truly knows her community well and knows how best to support its different members.”

Cindy Althoff - Clarke University, Iowa, USA

Teaching Intern ’17

“When I was interning for ANKURI, it was the first time the interns got to teach in the schools in the village. It was a challenging learning experience, but I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. I enjoyed going to the schools everyday. In the evenings we would go the Literacy Centre to help students with homework, and play games. I was the only education major that was in the group of interns, so it was my job to create lessons, get materials together and prep everyone for their classes. After school got out for the summer, we ran a summer school program at the private school in the village. It was very motivating to see the students come everyday and seem excited to learn and be there. As I think back to my time in India, I miss the students and Rachna the most. The students may not have all the supplies that we have in the States or the best direction, but they have the biggest heart and are excited to learn.”