Namibia Summer Internship Program: Social Change and Development in Southern Africa

June 1 - August 9, 2009

Social Change and Development in Southern Africa provides students with an opportunity to learn about contemporary and historical issues impacting development and social change in Southern Africa and the efforts to address such issues. Students will learn through course study as well as attachment with a local organization. Internship field placements will provide students hands-on learning opportunities, as well as opportunities for personal and professional development. Participants will also be offered additional opportunities for experiential learning and community engagement through in-country orientations, homestays, and travel seminars throughout Namibia.

What Makes this Program Unique?

• Orientation in Windhoek:  Spend 3-5 days orienting yourself to Windhoek, Namibia by visiting museums, meeting with a wide range of guest lecturers, and touring the city and former townships.

• Courses Taught in English:  While Namibia is a multi-lingual and multi-ethnic society, English was adopted as the national language upon Independence in 1990. Courses and internships will all be conducted in English. 

• Experiential Education and Community Engagement:  Integrate solid academic work with real-life experiences. Learn directly from local people involved in some of the most important issues of our time. Work directly with a local organization on specific projects.

• Long-Term Internships: Participants will be attached with a local organization throughout their time for at least 200 hours. This will allow students to meaningfully contribute to local organizations, as well as develop new skills and knowledge.

• Homestay:  Live with local families, participating in their daily life. Longer homestays are also possible if interested.

• Regional Travel:  Participate in excursions to Namibia’s Atlantic Coast, the Etosha National Park, and a rural community, in additional to optional independent travel on weekends.  

Courses

The Development Process – Southern Africa (Interdisciplinary Studies 312)

• Reflect critically on issues of development, globalization, education, governance, human rights, and HIV/AIDS.

• Study basic theories of development as well as particular strategies of development being implemented in Namibia and South Africa. 

Internship

(History/Interdisciplinary Studies/Political Science 312)

Participants will gain hands-on experience working with an organization that promotes social change and/or development. The internship course includes attachment with a local organization as well as a seminar. This class time focuses on developing professional skills and reflecting on the internship experience.

Credit is available in History, Interdisciplinary Studies, or Political Science.

Possible internship placements include attachment at an organization dealing with:

• HIV/AIDs

• Orphans and vulnerable children

• Environmental conservation

• Health promotion

• Media and journalism

• Human rights

• Homeless and underemployed populations

• Feminist Activism and Gender Issues

• Domestic violence

• Micro-finance and business development

• Youth and families

Additional internship opportunities are also available depending on students’ interest and experience.

Testimony from Past Internship Supervisors:

"We are definitely interested in hosting another intern. I’ve found the interns from CGE to be mature and take initiative in their work…With a short-term intern, the students are able to start and finish a project. Our interns have really allowed us to address issues we wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend to."

-Shelter Manager, Friendly Haven Shelter

"The interns sometimes work as teachers for the staff. We have learned a lot from our interns. Even though they are here for themselves, they always leave something behind. It has been great to learn new ideas and strategies from the CGE interns that we’ve had." 

-Mathew Rukoro, Social Development Coordinator, Big Issue Namibia

"[Our intern] was everything in that home for us. She taught me many things -- to be patient, to look beyond [skin] color. I could see in her an angel! She wrote a proposal and we received funding from a big company in Windhoek to buy food. She made a positive contribution in our lives, and I'm grateful."

-Aunty Clara from Vision Life in Namibia, a small organization catering to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children

Academic Information

Credit is granted and the transcript is issued by Augsburg College for the equivalent of two courses or 6-8 semester hours.

Prerequisites

None.

Program Location

The program is located in Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. Namibia is a multi-ethnic country and its many cultures and languages will be found intermixing in Windhoek. Windhoek is an urban center which still maintains traces of its German and South African colonialism. Namibia is also one of the most inequitable countries in the world and Windhoek exemplifies such disparities with great wealth and great poverty existing at either ends of the capital.

Click here for more information on Windhoek, Namibia.

Accommodations

Room and board will be provided at the CGE study house. The CGE house is located 10-15 minutes from the City Center. Students will share modest accommodations and have basic access to internet and a library. Meals will be provided at the study house. Students will also have the opportunity to stay with a local family for ten days. If interested, students can also extend their homestays for a longer period.

Cost

The cost of the program is $6,300. The program fee include tuition for two courses, course related field trips, full room and board (including homestays with host families), pre-trip preparation materials, airport or bus transfers, medical/emergency insurance, and general program oversight. Airfare is not included. The program price does not include entry and exit taxes.  Your entry and exit taxes may be included in the cost of airfare.

Application and Payment

Please contact us for a hardcopy application or see the Program Application. In addition to the application form, you will need to submit:

• a current transcript

• one reference form

• an Internship Application form

A $250 deposit is required with your application.  This deposit will be refunded only if the Center for Global Education cancels the program. This deposit can be made by credit card or check.

Your application and deposit must be received no later than April 1, 2009. Final payment for the program will be due May 1, 2009.  

Documentation

If you do not already have a passport, you should apply for one as soon as possible. Don’t put this off! It is very important that you have your passport well in advance of the program.  If you have one, make sure it is valid for six months past the end date of the program.  If it isn't, please apply for a new one.  You can apply for one either at a passport office, county government building, or a major post office. You will need two passport photos, a certified copy of your birth certificate (with a raised seal), and a check or money order for the processing fee.  Birth certificates are available from the clerk of court in the county in which you were born, in case you need to get one. In fact, get two copies so you can bring one with you (just in case you lose your passport and need to apply for a replacement).  For more information see the U.S. State Department webpage at:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html