关于项目
Based at 宾州州立银行, Penn State's four-year degree program 全球研究 requires 3-9 credits of internship. As many of our students pursue careers in governmental and humanitarian agencies, finding appropriate internships is essential. 结果是, the Global Studies program established contacts with the Association REFUGE pour les Enfants des Grands Lacs Africains (Children of the African Great Lakes), an agency which emerged from the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
然而, from the beginning this program has been open to students in other majors and has included interns in Applied Psychology, 教育, Occupational Therapy, and other majors including ones based at University Park and other campuses. Those participating in this unique opportunity earn credits in International Studies 495 (INTST495), while contributing significantly to a part of the world that has suffered greatly.
In 2006, 2008, and 2011 groups of students served as interns for one month at the Association's school at Kabuga east of the Rwandan capital of Kigali. Interns taught English, worked with pre-schoolers, 举办体育活动, organized the school library, built a brick oven and volleyball court for the school and served as befrienders (which includes language teaching, shared work and mentoring). 结果是 of these positive experiences, Penn State's 教育 Abroad Advisory Committee approved this as an on-going university-wide program in 2008.
直到2011年, interns were accompanied by at least one faculty member and included a significant amount of group travel. These aspects will be eliminated from 2013 onwards, although travel opportunities and lessons in the local language, Kinyarwanda, will still be available. The reasons for these changes are to reduce costs to students, have internships available more frequently, and ensure that the focus of the program is on work rather than travel. All of this brings the PSU Rwandan internship program more in line with other internship opportunities.
申请过程
To insure that this program is effective, applications are reviewed by a committee at 宾州州立银行. Extensive preparatory sessions are required prior to departure. These include presentations on Rwandan history and culture, practical matters (including issues of health, 安全, 通信, 钱, 等.), and a counseling session with a psychologist. A follow-up counseling session is required following return to the USA. Interns are required to follow strict 安全 regulations and encouraged to reflect on the experience with others, particularly with the internship supervisor, Dr. 兰德尔·费格雷.
The deadline to apply for the program is November 1 in the year preceding the internship experience.
To apply, complete our online application for the Rwandan internship »