Science Reporting Intern Abroad

I have always loved to write; I have journaled from a young age and started a creative writing club. As a joint honors student in English Literature and the Environment at McGill University, I have been spreading awareness of environmental problems and scientific discoveries through journalism: working as the Science & Technology Editor at The McGill Tribune  and as an extern at EARTH Magazine . Since January 2018, I have been traveling through Africa, starting in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania on a McGill field study semester, and later backpacking through Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Through field research and interviews, I practiced engaging with members of a variety of different communities. I have also seen how environmental initiatives and communities interact (and often clash), and how to analyse such issues more holistically. Now that I have been introduced to these modes of research, I would like to put them to use by accepting the internship I have been offered this June in South Africa.

This internship opportunity would not only allow me to further develop skills to which I have already been exposed, but push me beyond the realms of print journalism work. Both publications that have offered me an internship use platforms for video and photo publication as well as written content: an area of journalism in which I have been looking to gain expertise. Collaborating with skilled editors in the multimedia department would give me a more thorough idea of how to best tell a story—whether through multimedia, print, or both—and how to use video editing software. I would have the chance to "get out there and write stories," including travel to surrounding areas to follow up on science news topics in South Africa. In short, this internship is a once in a lifetime opportunity that would help me achieve my dream to one day work as a traveling science reporter (ideally for National Geographic because this girl really can dream). 

However, as internships in science journalism are low in numbers and high in competition,  many are unpaid and these publications would not be able to cover my living expenses while in South Africa. I have created a budget of $3300 USD to cover housing, food, transportation, living costs, and an emergency fund for the 2.5 months that I would be interning. Please help me participate in this opportunity; any donation is appreciated and will help me continue to grow my individual voice as a writer and storyteller. The knowledge I'd absorb from this internship would carry me throughout my career for the rest of my life.

Thank you for reading my proposal, and I appreciate your time more than words can convey.