Intern
International Business Development Internship in Sicily
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International Business Development Internship in Sicily
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Location
- Italy
- Palermo
Length
5 to 12 weeks
Industry
Business
Communications
Economics
Education
International Business
International Relations
Marketing
Media Relations
Startups
Sustainable Development
Technology
+1
Need-based funding, Payment plans
Jul 20, 2026
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About Program
Are you ready to build real-world business skills while making a tangible impact? Since 2016, STSicily has partnered with ethical, community-driven centers and local enterprises to provide transformative internship experiences. Trusted by over 900 students from institutions like Harvard and the University of Miami, this program guarantees a hands-on placement that bridges global business strategy with local impact.
Because our core partnerships heavily feature SMEs, this unique business development track allows you to work directly on the operational and growth side of a specific domain. You will help local companies expand their outreach, optimize their services, and build community partnerships. You won’t just be fetching coffee; you will act as a Junior Consultant driving real results.
What’s in it for you? Gain a massive competitive edge and a standout resume while we handle your housing, airport transfers, and 24/7 support. Placements are highly competitive and fill quickly.
Program Highlights
- Consult directly for local enterprises
- Join 900+ successful alumni from Harvard, Miami, and beyond.
- Housing, airport pickup, and 24/7 on-site guidance included.
- Dedicated professional workshops focused on hard and soft business skills.
- Deep cultural integration and guided weekend excursions in Sicily.
Enrolling for Summer Camp and Fall 2026!!
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Diversity & Inclusion 💙
BIPOC Support
At STSicily, we know that true cultural immersion requires emotional and physical safety. Having hosted over 900 students since 2016 from institutions like Harvard and the University of Miami, our approach to supporting our BIPOC participants is built on three holistic pillars:
Pre-Departure Cultural Grounding: We prepare students for the specific cultural landscape of Italy. We facilitate candid conversations about local social dynamics to set realistic expectations, ensuring students feel equipped to navigate their identity in a new environment.
Holistic On-Site Mentorship: Processing cross-cultural intersections can be complex. Our on-the-ground team utilizes active listening and regular check-ins to create a safe space for students. We provide dedicated support so they always have an advocate in their corner.
Intentional Professional Placements: We rigorously vet our local partners across all industries to ensure participants are placed in work environments that respect their identity and actively value their diverse perspectives
Pre-Departure Cultural Grounding: We prepare students for the specific cultural landscape of Italy. We facilitate candid conversations about local social dynamics to set realistic expectations, ensuring students feel equipped to navigate their identity in a new environment.
Holistic On-Site Mentorship: Processing cross-cultural intersections can be complex. Our on-the-ground team utilizes active listening and regular check-ins to create a safe space for students. We provide dedicated support so they always have an advocate in their corner.
Intentional Professional Placements: We rigorously vet our local partners across all industries to ensure participants are placed in work environments that respect their identity and actively value their diverse perspectives
LGBTQIA+ Support
At STSicily, we believe a truly holistic internship experience requires every student to feel completely safe bringing their authentic selves abroad. Having facilitated placements for over 900 students since 2016 from institutions like Harvard and the University of Miami, our approach to supporting our LGBTQIA+ participants is centered on three core pillars:
Pre-Departure Context and Grounding: We provide transparent, localized guidance before arrival. We discuss the realities of Italian culture — including navigating a gendered language and understanding regional social norms — so students are fully prepared and never caught off guard.
Holistic On-Site Mentorship: Our on-the-ground team serves as an active, empathetic support system. Through regular check-ins and active listening, we create a secure space for students to process their cross-cultural experiences, ensuring they always have a trusted advocate.
Inclusive Professional Placements: We carefully evaluate our host organizations to ensure they foster inclusive, respectful professional settings that honor our students' identities, regardless of their specific internship field.
Pre-Departure Context and Grounding: We provide transparent, localized guidance before arrival. We discuss the realities of Italian culture — including navigating a gendered language and understanding regional social norms — so students are fully prepared and never caught off guard.
Holistic On-Site Mentorship: Our on-the-ground team serves as an active, empathetic support system. Through regular check-ins and active listening, we create a secure space for students to process their cross-cultural experiences, ensuring they always have a trusted advocate.
Inclusive Professional Placements: We carefully evaluate our host organizations to ensure they foster inclusive, respectful professional settings that honor our students' identities, regardless of their specific internship field.
Neurodivergent Support
At STSicily, we recognize that thriving in a new culture requires an environment where cognitive differences are actively supported. Having guided over 900 students since 2016 from institutions like Harvard and the University of Miami, our approach to supporting neurodivergent participants is built on three core pillars:
Pre-Departure Routine Mapping: We proactively discuss what daily life in Italy actually looks like — from sensory environments to changes in cultural pacing. We help students anticipate schedule disruptions and co-create strategies for executive functioning and sensory regulation before they ever board a plane.
Structured On-Site Mentorship: Our on-the-ground team provides consistent, predictable support. We utilize active listening and clear communication frameworks to help students process sensory or social overwhelm, ensuring they always have a secure space to recalibrate.
Structured Professional Placements: We collaborate closely with our local partners to ensure placements provide clear expectations, structured roles, and a professional setting where our students' unique cognitive strengths are supported and valued.
Pre-Departure Routine Mapping: We proactively discuss what daily life in Italy actually looks like — from sensory environments to changes in cultural pacing. We help students anticipate schedule disruptions and co-create strategies for executive functioning and sensory regulation before they ever board a plane.
Structured On-Site Mentorship: Our on-the-ground team provides consistent, predictable support. We utilize active listening and clear communication frameworks to help students process sensory or social overwhelm, ensuring they always have a secure space to recalibrate.
Structured Professional Placements: We collaborate closely with our local partners to ensure placements provide clear expectations, structured roles, and a professional setting where our students' unique cognitive strengths are supported and valued.
Accessibility Support
At STSicily, we believe that physical and logistical barriers should never stand in the way of a meaningful international experience. Having facilitated placements for over 900 students since 2016 from institutions like Harvard and the University of Miami, our approach to accessibility is built on three core pillars:
Pre-Departure Logistical Auditing: We do not leave accessibility to chance. Long before arrival, we conduct a transparent assessment of the student's specific needs against the realities of Italian infrastructure. We map out accessible housing, evaluate commute routes, and secure necessary local medical or logistical accommodations to ensure a seamless transition.
Holistic On-Site Advocacy: Navigating a historic environment with accessibility needs can be exhausting. Our on-the-ground team acts as continuous advocates. Through active listening and regular check-ins, we troubleshoot daily physical barriers and provide the emotional support necessary to prevent accessibility fatigue.
Accessible Professional Placements: We rigorously vet our host organizations to ensure their facilities and operational structures are as accessible as possible, allowing our students to focus purely on their professional development rather than logistical hurdles.
Pre-Departure Logistical Auditing: We do not leave accessibility to chance. Long before arrival, we conduct a transparent assessment of the student's specific needs against the realities of Italian infrastructure. We map out accessible housing, evaluate commute routes, and secure necessary local medical or logistical accommodations to ensure a seamless transition.
Holistic On-Site Advocacy: Navigating a historic environment with accessibility needs can be exhausting. Our on-the-ground team acts as continuous advocates. Through active listening and regular check-ins, we troubleshoot daily physical barriers and provide the emotional support necessary to prevent accessibility fatigue.
Accessible Professional Placements: We rigorously vet our host organizations to ensure their facilities and operational structures are as accessible as possible, allowing our students to focus purely on their professional development rather than logistical hurdles.
Impact 🌎
Sustainability
At STSicily, we believe that international education must positively impact both the student and the host community. Having facilitated placements for over 900 students since 2016 from institutions like Harvard and the University of Miami, our approach to sustainable programming is built on three core pillars:
Pre-Departure Resource Education: We actively shift students' mindsets before they arrive. We provide transparent guidance on local resource management in Italy — from strict municipal waste regulations to energy conservation in historic buildings — ensuring students adopt sustainable daily habits from day one.
Holistic On-Site Economic Impact: We deliberately design our operations to keep economic benefits local. From utilizing regional public transportation to partnering with locally owned vendors and community-based enterprises, our on-the-ground team ensures our cohorts actively support the Sicilian economy.
Ethical Professional Placements: We rigorously vet our host organizations across all industries to ensure they demonstrate social responsibility, ethical practices, and a commitment to their community. We place students in environments where their professional development yields a net positive impact for the region.
Pre-Departure Resource Education: We actively shift students' mindsets before they arrive. We provide transparent guidance on local resource management in Italy — from strict municipal waste regulations to energy conservation in historic buildings — ensuring students adopt sustainable daily habits from day one.
Holistic On-Site Economic Impact: We deliberately design our operations to keep economic benefits local. From utilizing regional public transportation to partnering with locally owned vendors and community-based enterprises, our on-the-ground team ensures our cohorts actively support the Sicilian economy.
Ethical Professional Placements: We rigorously vet our host organizations across all industries to ensure they demonstrate social responsibility, ethical practices, and a commitment to their community. We place students in environments where their professional development yields a net positive impact for the region.
Ethical Impact
At STSicily, we believe that an international internship must be built on mutual respect and reciprocity, never extraction. Having facilitated placements for over 900 students since 2016 from institutions like Harvard and the University of Miami, our approach to ethical impact is built on three core pillars:
Pre-Departure Cultural Humility: We dismantle the 'savior complex' before students even arrive. We train our cohorts on the principles of ethical engagement, setting clear expectations that their role is to listen, learn, and collaborate alongside local professionals rather than to 'fix' cultural differences.
Holistic On-Site Engagement: Navigating new socio-economic realities can be challenging for students. Our on-the-ground team utilizes active listening and guided reflection sessions to help students process these complexities, ensuring they interact with local civic initiatives and social cooperatives with deep respect and understanding.
Reciprocal Professional Placements: We rigorously vet our host organizations to guarantee that student placements never displace local labor or burden the host. We carefully design roles that foster a genuine, two-way exchange of skills and perspectives, ensuring our presence provides a direct, ethical benefit to the Sicilian community.
Pre-Departure Cultural Humility: We dismantle the 'savior complex' before students even arrive. We train our cohorts on the principles of ethical engagement, setting clear expectations that their role is to listen, learn, and collaborate alongside local professionals rather than to 'fix' cultural differences.
Holistic On-Site Engagement: Navigating new socio-economic realities can be challenging for students. Our on-the-ground team utilizes active listening and guided reflection sessions to help students process these complexities, ensuring they interact with local civic initiatives and social cooperatives with deep respect and understanding.
Reciprocal Professional Placements: We rigorously vet our host organizations to guarantee that student placements never displace local labor or burden the host. We carefully design roles that foster a genuine, two-way exchange of skills and perspectives, ensuring our presence provides a direct, ethical benefit to the Sicilian community.
