Vlog series: Day in the life of an #SNFIntern
Stories, interviews, and organizing a whole journalism forum
What is it like to work for an organization that has such a concrete impact on health?
Life in a village on Mount Parnon is much more different that we imagined
Getting to know the Cultural Center better than anyone else
Watching from backstage as everyone at the audience stands up to applaud
Everyday life among the rarest of books
Following a day in the life of an #SNFIntern
On a cloudy winter day, you wake up on the Greek island of Skyros, alongside experienced doctors who are providing free examinations to the island’s residents. You step out of the exam room and find yourself at the site where the new Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki is under construction in Northern Greece. It’s noon and it’s time to take a break looking out over the fir trees on Mount Parnon in Southern Greece. Before you know it, the performance at the Greek National Opera (GNO) is over, the curtain is closing, and you watch from backstage as everyone the audience stands up to applaud. A smile spreads across your face.
If you could encapsulate the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Internship Program in a single day, it might look something like this. Though all are part of one internship program, each intern’s daily experience can look completely different depending on which of the seven participating host organizations they’re embedded in.
When, how, and why did the program start?
SNF's paid internship program started in 2006 and has been running continuously since then, with only a brief hiatus during the pandemic. In the beginning, it offered internships only at the Foundation’s three offices, but it gradually grew and evolved. Since 2022, it has offered an average of 34 four-month positions twice a year at SNF and at our sister philanthropies—the nonprofit journalism organization iMEdD (incubator for Media and Education), Regeneration & Progress, and Vamvakou Revival—as well as other important SNF collaborators, namely the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), the Greek National Opera (GNO), and the National Library of Greece (NLG).
The program's core aim is to give young people the opportunity to get to know the world of philanthropy and nonprofits from the inside, while investing practically in their future and offering a space for their voices to be heard.
The internship program by the numbers
376
young people have participated in the program since 2006
30 visits
to nonprofits supported by SNF are made by participants each internship cycle
24 workshops
on themes such as professional development, project management, and addressing workplace bullying are attended by the interns each cycle
What is the SNF Internship Program really like? Check out the vlog series.
From the offices in Athens to the construction sites of the new SNF hospitals
Meet Giannis, Intern at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)
I experienced things I have never had the chance to experience, met people that are now part of my life, and developed professionally.
Giannis Makroglou
Intern at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)
Stories, interviews, and organizing a whole journalism forum
Meet George, Former intern at iMEdD
If I had to describe the internship in one sentence, I would say that it is packed with stimuli and experiences, and has helped me develop both as a person and as a journalist.
George Schinas
Former intern at iMEdD
What is it like to work for an organization that has such a concrete impact on health?
Meet Giannis, Intern at the nonprofit Regeneration & Progress
My favorite part of the internship was definitely the trip to Skyros with the Mobile Medical Units, the daily routine at the office, but also the people I met.
Giannis Piotopoulos
Intern at the nonprofit Regeneration & Progress
Life in a village on Mount Parnon is much more different that we imagined
Meet Elisavet, Intern at Vamvakou Revival
I am helping Greece’s rural areas by staying in a village, seeing its authentic side and not what most people see.
Elisavet Zacharopoulou
Intern at Vamvakou Revival
Getting to know the Cultural Center better than anyone else
Meet Mavretta, Intern at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC)
I would definitely recommend the internship to a friend without a second thought, because there are a lot of new things to learn and they will be given the opportunity to take initiative and showcase their talents. The only thing they will never get is bored!
Mavretta Vagena
Intern at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC)
Actors, musical scores, intercoms. This is what a day backstage looks like in the arts
Meet George, Intern at the Greek National Opera (GNO)
Even though most people are impressed with the infrastructure of the hall, I would say that my favorite part is the people. All the moments I’ve had with my colleagues, the performers, and the small mishaps have all made for unique experiences.
George Floros
Intern at the Greek National Opera
Everyday life among the rarest of books
Meet Michalis, Intern at the National Library of Greece (NLG)
Capturing moments is awesome, especially when you do it in a place like the National Library of Greece.
Michalis Kalis
Intern at the National Library of Greece
Find out more about the program and learn how you can become an SNF Intern.
