STUDENT RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

February 2013: WFI Interns covering Pope Benedict's last general audience as part of the press team

We provide opportunities for our student scholars to participate in activities where they can engage in specific social justice issues and make a difference in communities across the globe, through their classwork.

WFI Internships in Rome

WFI proudly provides financial assistance to students who travel to Rome each semester to take part in a prestigious work experience at either the Vatican or the United Nations. Students interested in public relations, journalism and media production assist Vatican-related offices with social media outreach and other tasks, seeing firsthand how people from vastly different backgrounds and cultures are united by words that capture shared beliefs.

Learn more about the internship program and how to apply.

WFI-Funded Social Justice Documentaries

WFI provides funding for the Social Justice Documentary Program, providing students with the opportunity to learn about film and then create documentaries that allow them to become advocates for important societal issues—sometimes staying in the Philadelphia area, sometimes journeying as far as Ghana, India, or Costa Rica. Each year, the students create their own production companies and submit their film to festivals around the world—winning local, regional and national awards. Over the course of the program, three films were chosen as finalists for the Student Academy Awards, and in 2019 Sankofa won Gold Medal in the Documentary/Domestic Film Schools Category. Watch the Sankofa trailer.

ABOUT THE SOCIAL JUSTICE DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM

Questions about the internships or our SJD program? Please email wfi@villanova.edu.

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RELATED PROGRAMS

The WFI works in close partnership with Villanova’s Department of Communication, home to award-winning faculty with a shared commitment to communication as a catalyst for social justice.

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ASHLEY OCHEFU ’23 CLAS

Ashley Ochefu ’23 CLAS was one of the student filmmakers behind "We Don’t Walk in Fear" (2022), which follows American political activist Daryle Lamont Jenkins in his lifelong quest to fight racism, bigotry and fascism. “It was an amazing experience to meet those we interviewed for the film and get a glimpse into their lives and places of work…I’m forever grateful for the skills I learned and the people I met along the way.”

LIAM MCCAFFERY '20 CLAS

“While working at the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Rome, I had the incredible opportunity to work on an international team of strategic communicators, to listen to Pope Francis speak and interview social entrepreneurs from around the world at the annual Governing Council, and to help coordinate a panel at an international journalism conference in Perugia, Italy. My experiences at IFAD have absolutely informed my growth both as a communicator and a professional.”

MARIA-ANGELEENA OROPEZ '21 CLAS

"The greatest experience I had during my time at Villanova was the WFI Rome Internship program where I got to work at the Vatican. During my time at the Vatican, I got to do fulfilling work like creating proposals for the Pope's Instagram account while learning what it is like to connect with a global audience. The internship was invaluable to my professional experience and an opportunity I will always cherish."