About Movement in Refuge (MiR)
MiR is an international organisation using sport, yoga, movement, and chess to create safe, structured opportunities for communities in some of the world's most challenging environments. Our work is centred in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh - home to one of the world's largest refugee settlements - and extends to the surrounding Bangladeshi host communities who face their own profound vulnerabilities.
Sonarpara is a coastal fishing village of approximately 6,000 people, where children grow up surrounded by open water. Without structured swimming, surf, or water-safety training drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under five.
MiR's Sonarpara Coastal Sports and Movement Project aims to transform that relationship with water -from a source of risk into a foundation for safety, health, and opportunity. Over three years, the project will equip 1,000–1,600 children and adolescents (50% girls) with swimming, surf, and water-safety skills; train local community coaches; establish gender-sensitive coastal sports spaces; and build towards a community-owned coastal sports hub. The programme is designed to expand to other coastal communities as it grows. The Ocean Sports intern sits at the heart of this work.
The Role
As Ocean Sports intern, you will drive the quality, development, and expansion of MiR's ocean sports programme - spanning swimming, surfing, water safety, and coastal sport activities including ocean fitness. This is a role that combines technical expertise with cultural sensitivity, curriculum development, international community engagement, and a genuine commitment to the people this programme serves.
You will work closely with MiR leadership and our local partner SHI (Sports for Hope and Independence) to ensure that what we deliver in the water is evidence-based, adapted to the specific conditions of Cox's Bazar - including low-visibility river and ocean water - and responsive to the gender dynamics and cultural context of Sonarpara. At the same time, you will reach outward into the international swimming, surfing, and ocean sports communities to build the awareness, partnerships, and resources that will sustain and scale the programme. A field visit to Cox’s Bazar is strongly recommended for this role.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the ongoing development and review of MiR's ocean sports curriculum - covering swimming, surf, water safety, basic rescue, and coastal sports - ensuring it is evidence-based, age-appropriate, and adapted to the specific conditions of Cox's Bazar
Ensure the curriculum is culturally sensitive and gender-responsive, with particular attention to creating safe, appropriate programming for girls and young women
Support the training and development of MiR's community-based coaches (CBCs) in swimming pedagogy, surf coaching, water safety, and basic lifeguarding and first aid
Build and maintain relationships with international swimming and surfing organisations, federations, and governing bodies - including national swim associations, ISA-affiliated surf bodies, and relevant NGOs - to raise awareness of MiR's coastal programme
Identify and pursue funding opportunities, equipment donations - including boards, wetsuits, and swim gear - and partnership possibilities within the global ocean sports community
Support the long-term vision of a community-owned coastal sports hub, including connections to Cox's Bazar's growing tourism and hospitality sector as a livelihood pathway for local coaches
Contribute to monitoring and evaluation of the ocean sports programme, helping track learner progress and programme quality against agreed indicators
Support the expansion of MiR's ocean sports programme to additional coastal communities beyond Sonarpara
Keep MiR leadership regularly updated on curriculum development, outreach activity, and partnership progress
What you will gain
Being part of the MiR internship programme means joining a lean, fast-moving international organisation at a pivotal moment in its growth. You will gain:
The rare experience of applying ocean sports expertise to a live humanitarian programme with measurable life-saving impact.
Deep knowledge of evidence-based drowning prevention and coastal sports programming in a low-resource, high-risk environment .
Hands-on experience in curriculum development, coach training support, and programme quality assurance within an international development context.
Exposure to the international swimming and surfing governance and funding landscapes, and direct experience of building partnerships within them.
The possibility of a field visit to Cox’s Bazar - a rare and formative professional experience.
A formal reference letter from MiR leadership on successful completion.
Access to MiR's growing network of academic, UN, and civil society partners.
Mentorship from practitioners with decades of field experience across the UN system and international NGOs.
Time Commitment
5–20 hours per week, minimum of 4 months. This is primarily a remote, unpaid internship. Hours are flexible and can be arranged around academic or professional commitments. A field visit to Sonarpara, Cox's Bazar is strongly recommended - the opportunity to experience the water conditions, meet community coaches, and observe programme delivery first-hand is invaluable to this role. Field visits are discussed and arranged directly with MiR leadership.
How you will be supported
MiR is small but structured. Every intern is assigned a direct point of contact within our team who will oversee your work and provide regular feedback. You will receive a thorough onboarding covering MiR's mission, values, safeguarding framework, and the full context of the Sonarpara project - including the community, the water conditions, the coach training model, and the programme's three-year vision. We take safeguarding seriously and will ensure you are fully briefed before engaging with any field-related content or activities.
We take your development seriously. We want you to leave with a sharper professional profile, a stronger network across the ocean sports world, and the knowledge that the programme you helped build is keeping children safer and opening new futures.
Eligibility
If you are a swimmer, surfer, water-safety professional, ocean sports coach, or aquatics enthusiast with a genuine interest in MiR's mission and the Sonarpara coastal programme. You may come from a background in sports science, aquatic or surf coaching, public health, international development, or a related field. What matters most is a strong practical understanding of ocean sports and water safety, the ability to adapt that expertise to a low-resource, culturally complex environment, and a genuine commitment to the communities this programme serves. Experience with drowning prevention frameworks, swim or surf teaching qualifications, lifeguarding, or coaching in cross-cultural settings is an advantage but not essential. Existing connections to swimming or surfing organisations, clubs, or federations are particularly welcome.