Archive for Call for Applications

Monday, November 27th, 2017

D-Prize Social Venture Competition

The application deadline for the D-Prize social venture competition is on December 10th!

According to the folks at D-Prize, the world has already invented a lot of ways to combat poverty, but the best interventions struggle to ever be distributed at mass-scale. This competition is meant to identify business or NGO designs that solves one of their Distribution Challenges.

What’s the prize? Up to 30 social entrepreneurs will be awarded up to $20,000 to launch a pilot in any region where extreme poverty exists.

Who should apply? You should have enormous ambition, and can imagine yourself as a successful entrepreneur. You are ready to launch your new venture, and – if a pilot proves successful – you are excited to grow it into a world changing organization.

Yea, but I’m a student… Don’t worry! If you’re still a student or have existing commitments, you should be able to share a clear idea how you would transition into a full-time founder.

D-Prize is exclusively interested in ventures that will scale distribution of an already proven poverty intervention in the developing world. They do not fund prototypes of promising new interventions

Join the competition today by filling out the 2017 application packet.

If you want to hear more, check out their TEDxTalk.

Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

How high quality evaluations are helping to improve the lives of school children in Cambodia

Author: Monique Rao

MIIS graduate, Monique Rao completed her DPMI Plus practicum for UNICEF Cambodia this past August. If you are interested in a Spring internship with UNICEF Cambodia, they want to hear from you! You can find the listing for their current Spring 2018 Evaluation Intern opportunity here.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, September 2017: In June this year, the UNICEF Office of Evaluation at Head Quarters in New York announced the organization’s 15 Best Evaluations of 2016. Out of 101 evaluations completed globally, UNICEF Cambodia’s Evaluation on Child-Friendly School Policy was selected as one of the top 15 across the entire organization. This recognition shows UNICEF Cambodia’s commitment to transparency, accountability and improvement, and illustrates how the outcomes of high quality evaluations can positively impact the lives of children here and around the world.

Speaking about the role evaluation plays at UNICEF Cambodia, Country Representative, Ms. Debora Comini stated: “UNICEF is keen to continuously promote reflection and engage in seeking evidence to guide our work for children. A well conducted evaluation will always produce lessons that we must transparently debate and apply.”

But what exactly is an evaluation? Why is it so important for UNICEF to invest time and resources in conducting them? And, how does this help make a difference in the lives of children which is UNICEF’s central mission?

Evaluation is a type of research-based activity that UN agencies, governments and non-government organizations (NGOs) carry out. They measure the results of implemented projects, programmes or policies against the intentions of what they set out to achieve.

Let’s say UNICEF wanted to implement a WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) programme in schools so that children have access to proper washing stations and restrooms at school. Initial questions the team might ask are: in which provinces will we implement this programme and why, how many schools will we provide washing stations and restrooms for, how many children will this affect, and by doing so, what will this achieve? Perhaps they intend that by providing a child with safe water, in an area where they otherwise would not have access to it, then this will decrease the occurrences of preventable diseases due to poor sanitation and increase school attendance.

 

In general, evaluations are conducted once the project, or phase of the project, has been completed. The evaluation team will ask the same questions the implementing team asked before beginning the project: How many children were given to access to clean water? How many schools did they build washing stations and restrooms for? Why did they choose to start this programme in this province, and was this a good choice? The Evaluator’s job is to use observation, statistics, interviews and surveys to determine the extent to which the programme has achieved its goals. In the example of a school

©UNICEF Cambodia/2014/Isabelle Lesser

water and sanitation programme, by how much did the amount of preventable diseases caused by these decrease, and did school attendance improve, if at all?

UNICEF then takes the key findings, lessons learned and recommendations from the evaluation to make improvements and adjustments to the programme or future phases of the programme, so the end result has the greatest impact. In the example of the school WASH programme, any improvements would be made to ensure that programme is implemented in the most efficient and effective way in order to improve children’s access to WASH facilities. Ultimately, better health and school attendance, lead to more opportunities later in life for these children.

Let’s look at the Child-Friendly Schools (CFS) policy evaluation that made UNICEF’s top 15 evaluations, as an example of the positive impact that evaluation has on Cambodian children.
The CFS policy aims to have all children enrolled in school and improve access and quality of education nationwide. It seeks to have schools that are practicing student-centered learning in a healthy, safe environment for children to ensure they get the best education possible, and uses six key elements to assess this: 1. Access to Schooling, 2. Effective Teaching and Learning, 3. Security, Health and Safety, 4. Gender Responsiveness, 5. Community Engagement, and 6. Overall School Management and Leadership.

Two types of teams are used to assess whether schools are actually adhering to the six key elements above: District Training and Monitoring Teams (DTMTs) and School Clusters.  Both groups are made up of school directors, teachers, and parents, but work at the district level and local level respectively.

One of the key findings of the evaluation of this policy was that School Clusters were more effective in implementing the CFS policy at the local school level than the DTMTs. Generally, this is because members of School Clusters were from the same commune or community, so they could meet more frequently to discuss their schools’ adherence to the policy, which when done properly, means safer, cleaner, more inclusive and ultimately, more child-friendly spaces for students.

As a result of this finding from the evaluation, there was a sharing in responsibility of the key elements between DTMT or School Clusters. DTMTs were restructured to be responsible for all six elements of the CFS policy and school performance as a whole. The role of School Clusters was also redefined so that they would just be responsible for the second key element, “Effective Teaching and Learning” in the schools.  This change to more clearly defined roles, plus some additional government support, meant that School Clusters would be more effective in helping schools train teachers in more child-centered techniques that will make learning more fun and engaging for their students, ultimately benefitting the children to the largest extent.

As CFS is being implemented across the country, the idea is that by using successful monitoring systems like the School Clusters, Cambodian schools will become safer, more welcoming places for children to learn and grow.

The example of the Child-Friendly School Policy in Cambodia demonstrates why it’s important to conduct evaluations. Without them, we wouldn’t know how successful programmes and projects are, or whether or not they’re actually helping improve the lives of children, which is the overall goal of UNICEF’s mission.

*Monique Rao has interned with UNICEF Cambodia’s evaluation team until August 2017.
*Sarah Cowley, Communication intern, has also contributed to this story.

Monday, September 18th, 2017

Unicorn Strategies: Like Magic, But Better

Ever wonder what happens to graduates once they leave MIIS? We spoke with recent graduate Lieselotte Siegenthaler, a consulting partner at Unicorn Strategies, to get the scoop!

Unicorn Strategies (located in Washington, D.C.) is a company that provides pro bono chief of staff services to retired national security leaders. In exchange, these leaders make themselves available for client projects where they work with young women in national security to solve real world client problems.

Could you tell me a little bit about your background and how it led you to Unicorn Strategies?

In undergrad I interned in both the public and private sector, including stints at the Department of Commerce, at a private tech security firm in Germany and with a human rights lawyer at the UN in Geneva. After graduating, I worked in administration at tech security companies in San Francisco. Working in these positions exposed me to various smaller scale security issues and avenues towards intercultural communication.

Last summer I interned at the American Security Project, where I met my business partner, Maggie, who was Chief of Staff to the CEO at the time. We collaborated on a project involving Timor-Leste and Australia’s maritime boundary dispute and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Part of the project included interviewing the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, as well as liaising with Australian diplomats and American political figures. In working together, we realized while we have different professional backgrounds, our skill and knowledge sets complemented each other’s.

In interacting with and researching the many think tanks and nonprofits in DC, I learned about the pivotal role that retired national security leaders play in these organizations. Maggie’s extensive experience working with retired flag officers at American Security Project afforded her significant insight into how the officers were able to succeed after retiring, and how sometimes they do not have the opportunity to properly use their expertise after transitioning out of government. In addition to recognizing security leaders’ post-retirement contributions to national security, we noticed, and sometimes experienced, the challenges of being a woman in security. Both of our professional and academic lives provided us with large networks of young women either aspiring to work or already working in security.

While thinking about these two groups Maggie and I identified gaps that may prevent them from achieving their career goals. For many retired national security leaders, it’s the gap between their capabilities and how much they are able to contribute to the national security space. For young women working in security, it is the gap between them and the retired leaders, which inhibits their opportunity for mentorship and network expansion.

How/When did you create this company?

After I returned to MIIS for the fall semester and Maggie started her master’s program at Georgetown, we continued to explore the two gaps. Unicorn Strategies came together over the course of the next several months, after recognizing not only the connected gaps such as retired leaders and a network of young women in security, but also acknowledging the impact of our combined skill set in filling that need. Our official foundation date was February 2017 when we won our first contract and we moved into our office April (come visit us!). It’s been a learning process, but we love Unicorn because it allows us to work both in and outside of the traditional national security system to support a more equitable, free, and prosperous world.

What does that mean in practice? 

The chief of staff services translates to helping security leaders use their knowledge and skills as they transition out of government and into the private sector. This can include getting them on retainer at a news organization, an advisory position at consulting firm, or speaking engagements. They are also currently working with one retired IC leader to do a Track II dialogue in Eastern Europe!

In addition to the chief of staff services, companies and advocacy organizations approach us to complete projects, such as writing op-eds, or advising on specific policy issues. To work on the projects, we partner young women in security with the leaders we are staffing. This facilitates knowledge transfer, grows everyone’s networks, and creates mentorship opportunities.

To learn more about Unicorn Strategies go to info@unicornstrategies.com

OR if you are looking for a Fall internship they are hiring! Join the herd.

 

 

Thursday, October 13th, 2016

International Winter Academy Call for Participants

IPD is very glad to announce its next International Winter Programs in Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation, Mediation, Security and Intercultural Dialogue, which is going to be held in Switzerland. Applicants could choose either 10 days Winter academy or 3 Month CAS-Research program in their filled application.

View the application form or visit the School of Peacebuidling, Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Intercultural Dialogue, Security & Human Rights webpage for more information.

 

Thursday, March 31st, 2016

Reminder: Apply for DPMI+ for summer/fall 2016

DPMI+ Application Deadline

Thursday, March 10th, 2016

Reminder: Apply for IPSS 2017 by March 31st

IPSS 2017! (1)

Tuesday, February 9th, 2016

Announcing Sarah Meek Travel Grant for Research in Africa

africa-151640_1280Up to four travel grants of $1,500 each will be awarded to MIIS students conducting research on social change in Africa. The research can be either independent or part of established immersive learning program such as IPSS, DPMI+ or Frontier Market Scouts. The research must be conducted in Africa for a duration of 3-4 months or more.

To receive this grant, students must submit a research design that focuses on a social condition in Africa of the applicant’s choosing; e.g., poverty, environment, crime, armed violence, gender equality, conflict, disease, education, refugees, etc., with the goal of making policy/program recommendations that can change that condition.

The application must include the following elements:

1)      A two-page statement that includes a complete research design, to include a preliminary literature review that shows a need for this research; the who, what, where, and how of the project and its potential impact on the social condition. A description of the deliverable and plan for presenting it back to the MIIS community should be included in this statement. A timeline and preliminary budget should be attached as separate documents.

2)      A letter of support from an organization which is hosting or assisting you with your project.

Send applications via email to Jennifer Hambleton-Holguin at  jhamblet@miis.edu by no later than March 1st. A committee of faculty judges will evaluate all applications and determine the recipients of the award by March 15th. Awards will be given as reimbursement for travel to Africa.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss the eligibility of your planned research for this award, please make an appointment with Jennifer via Zócalo. She can also forward a sample application from last year to those interested.

These awards are made possible by a continuing donation from the family of Sarah Meek, a MIIS alum of 1996 whose life was cut short while working to improve social conditions in Africa.

Monday, January 25th, 2016

Seeking Nominations for Monterey County Outstanding Women

The Monterey Commission on the Status of Women is seeking nominations for its 2016 Outstanding Women of Monterey County awards. Honor Monterey County’s outstanding women by nominating someone who has significantly improved the lives of others, and the adversity they overcame. The 2016 awards will be presented March 20th at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Nomination forms are available at the Monterey Commission on the Status of Women’s website in both Spanish and English.

Tuesday, November 10th, 2015

Applications invited for a trip to the Russian Far East in Spring!

The Graduate Initiative in Russian Studies is pleased to announce that two MIIS and two Middlebury students will participate in a research trip to the Russian Far East under the supervision of Professor Tsuneo Akaha (GSIPM). The trip is designed to introduce the participants to the political and economic issues of contemporary Russia, with a focus on her Far Eastern territories, and relations with the neighboring countries. Students will take part in meetings with faculty, researchers, and students of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok and the Economic Research Institute in Khabarovsk, as well as local community representatives in these two largest cities in the Far East. The students will develop a research report based on their trip and pre-trip and post-trip research. Students who wish to earn academic credit will consult with Prof. Akaha and Prof. Vassilieva. 2 Directed Study credits can be earned.

The entire cost of the trip will be covered by the Graduate Initiative in Russian Studies, a MIIS project funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Preference will be given to students with advanced Russian language skills.

Two MIIS participants will be selected through the following procedures:

  1. An essay describing the applicant’s background and interest in Russia (including the Far East) and her relations with the regional neighbors, including Korea, Mongolia, China, and Japan. The essay should be three-pages long and submitted by email to Prof. Akaha and Prof. Anna Vassilieva by November 24, Tuesday.
  2. An up-to-date resume, to be submitted along with the above essay.
  3. An oral interview after review of the above submissions.

Applicants will be notified of the results of the selection by December 4, Friday.

Inquiries may be addressed to Prof. Akaha at takaha@miis.edu or Prof. Vassilieva at avassili@miis.edu.

Friday, July 24th, 2015

Are you ready for a challenge?

D-Prize is dedicated toward expanding access to poverty-alleviation solutions. While many solutions exist, the challenge is distributing these solutions to those who need them most.

D-Prize challenges social entrepreneurs to develop better ways to distribute technologies and methods to improve people’s lives.

D-Prize is awarding up to $20,000 to social entrepreneurs with the best solutions to specific challenges in the following areas:

  • Girls Education
  • Energy
  • Education
  • Governance and Infrastructure
  • Global Health
  • Custom

A two page idea needs to be submitted by September 7!

Visit the D-Prize website to learn more about the challenges, the goals of D-Prize, and the read about recent winners.

Friday, May 8th, 2015

OpenIDEO – Accepting Ideas for Refugee Education Challenge

Refugee Education Challenge is now accepting ideas to improve education opportunities for children in refugee camps.

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“Now is the chance to share an idea you have for how to improve education for refugees. We’ve partnered with UNCHR and UNICEF – so even if you aren’t able implement your idea yourself, there’s an opportunity you to submit a winning idea that could be implemented through partnerships with organizations already working with UNICEF and UNHCR.

Winning ideas on our shortlist will attend a design support bootcamp hosted by IDEO.org designers, where participants will learn how to apply human-centered design to their challenge idea. A handful of these ideas will be selected to receive a share of $500,000 in funding and design support.”

Design Principles for Refugee Education:

  • Focus on what we can do now
  • Design for gender equality
  • Keep resource limitations in mind
  • Design for uncertainty
  • Take an inclusive approach
  • Be culturally sensitive

Click to find out more about OpenIDEO and to submit an idea!

Thursday, April 2nd, 2015

Update on the Sarah Meek Travel Grant for Work in Africa

Summer and Fall Applications Invited
Apply your skills and knowledge in the field

What: $1,500 travel grant for work or research in Africa

Requirements:
1.) Complete a research or professional project benefiting a social change organization in Africa for a minimum of two months. This project can be part of an internship or job.

2.) Develop a narrated photo slideshow or video documenting the knowledge gained from your experience.

Application Process:

1.) Submit a 1-2 page proposal outlining the following by April 8:

a. Project Beneficiary
b. Project Context/Background
c. Project Goal and Objectives
d. Deliverable Format

2.) Awards will be given based on the clarity, feasibility and relevance of the project to social change in Africa. Applicants will be notified by April 24.

3.) Awards will be given as reimbursement for travel to Africa.

Other Considerations: You may still apply if you do not have a confirmed internship. Only enrolled students may receive a travel grant. If two students will be conducting the research together, the award will be split between the two students with a cap of $1500 per award. Travel grants can be awarded in good faith before deliverables are complete.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss the eligibility of your planned project for this award, please make an appointment with Professor Ed Laurance at elaurance@miis.edu. He can also be reached at 831-402-2631.

These awards are made possible by a continuing donation from the family of Sarah Meek, a MIIS alum of 1996 whose life was cut short while working to improve social conditions in Africa.

Thursday, April 2nd, 2015

Les Zambo Scholarship Fund

The Fisher International MBA Program invites applicants for the 2015-2016 Les Zambo Scholarship Program. Zambo Scholars will receive a grant of up to $10,000 towards tuition for MBA studies. Award may be applied to Summer 2015, Fall 2015 or Spring 2016 semesters.

Selection Criteria: Applicants must:
• Be full-time degree candidates in the MBA program.
• Have completed at least one full-time semester of graduate work in the Fisher International MBA.
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Be in residence during the Summer 2015, Fall 2015 or Spring 2016 academic term.

Application Process
• Submission of attached application form.
• Submission of a 500 word personal statement attesting to scholarly achievement, talent, leadership qualities, character, interpersonal skills, intellectual curiosity, description of service to the Fisher MBA and the Middlebury Institute, demonstrated collegiality with MBA program, staff and faculty, and community involvement. Statement should also articulate future career aspirations of the applicant and their commitment to the field.
• Submission of a resume.
• Submission of unofficial transcript.
• Submit all of the above with the following form by Wednesday, April 22nd.

Click to view the Full Guidelines of the Application and the Application Form  

Apply by Wednesday, April 22nd, to: Les Zambo Scholarship Fund, Fisher International MBA Program. Submit your application electronically to Toni M. Thomas, Assistant Dean, GSIPM, at: toni.thomas@miis.edu

Check out the Les Zambo Scholarship Fund Page to find out more about it and past scholars!

Thursday, April 2nd, 2015

Team El Salvador Looking for a Team Leader!

Students from all MIIS Programs are encouraged to Apply!

TES Leader

TES Leader 2

 Description of Responsibilities 

TES Leader 5

Leadership term lasts early May 2015 to early May 2016

For more information check out the Team El Salvador Blog or email any questions to teamelsalvadormiis@gmail !

Send Resume & Cover Letter to teamelsalvadormiis@gmail.com by Sunday, April 14th!

 

Monday, March 16th, 2015

Center for Social Impact Learning (CSIL) Launch Invitation

You are invited to join MIIS faculty, staff, students and alumni for the launch of the Center for Social Impact Learning on March 25th in Monterey, California!

CSIL

The Center for Social Impact Learning (CSIL) provides relevant learning and research programming for students interested in exploring and developing careers in social entrepreneurship and impact investment management.

 Register for this free event today! 

 

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

What are you doing this summer?

We’ve got a new page to help you answer that question: go.miis.edu/summer

summer

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

Update on the Sarah Meek Travel Grant for Research in Africa

Summer and Fall Applications Invited

In January several students applied for this grant but none were awarded. In every case the requests were for the summer because there was little time for anyone to prepare a travel grant proposal for the spring immersive learning programs.

The result is that all the money available for travel grants is now available for summer and fall travel for research on social change in Africa. The research must be conducted in Africa for a duration of at least 2 and a half months.

To receive this grant students must submit a research design that focuses on a social condition in Africa of the applicant’s choosing; e.g., poverty, environment, crime, armed violence, gender inequality, conflict, disease, education, refugees, etc., with the goal of making policy/program recommendations that can change that condition.

The application must include the following elements:

  1. Dates of research
  2. Location of research, to include a letter of support from an organization which is hosting or assisting you with your project.
  3. A two page statement that includes a complete research design, to include a research question, a literature review that shows a need for this research, evidence generation methods, and its potential impact on the social condition.
  4. A description of the deliverable and date of completion.

Applications must be received between now and 1 April. A committee of faculty judges will evaluate all applications and determine the recipients of the award by 15 April. Awards will be given as reimbursement for travel to Africa. Only enrolled students may receive a travel grant. If two students will be conducting the research together, the award will be split between the two students with a cap of $1500 per award. Travel will not be awarded for an internship, unless appropriate research will be conducted as part of the internship.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss the eligibility of your planned research for this award, please make an appointment with Professor Ed Laurance at elaurance@miis.edu. He can also be reached at 831-402-2631.

These awards are made possible by a continuing donation from the family of Sarah Meek, a MIIS alum of 1996 whose life was cut short while working to improve social conditions in Africa.

Monday, February 23rd, 2015

New Internship Opportunity in Uganda!

Looking for a summer internship opportunity in Africa? Check out ISLA – and feel free to join tomorrow’s info session from 12pm-1pm in Morse B206! http://www.isla-serve.org/

*MPAs – this could count for DPMI Plus!

isla Uganda

Thursday, January 29th, 2015

Upcoming Info Sessions for IPSS, DPMI, and Tunisia

IPSS 2016

http://www.miis.edu/academics/monterey-abroad/service-semester

Info Session: Thursday, February 12, 2015, 12-1pm @MG100

Application Deadline: September 1st, 2015

 

DPMI, DPMI +

http://www.miis.edu/academics/short/development-management

Info Session: Thursday, Feb 26, 2015, 12-1pm @CF452

Application Deadline:

Summer 2015: Early Review – March 1st, 2015; General Application Deadline – April 1st, 2015

Winter 2016: Early Review – September 1st, 2015; General Application Deadline – October 31st, 2015

 

Tunisia’s Transition to Democracy – June 2015

http://www.globalmajority.org/, and more info here.

Info Session: Tuesday, February 10, 2015, 12-1pm @ MG100

Application Deadline: May 1st, 2015

 

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Global Health & Innovation Conference at Yale

Dear Colleagues,
 
You and your students and colleagues may be interested in attending or presenting at the upcoming 12th annual Global Health & Innovation Conference at Yale on March 28-29, 2015. We are also currently accepting social enterprise abstracts for presentation, as well as applications for the $10,000 and $5,000 GHIC Innovation Prize.
Global Health & Innovation Conference
Presented by Unite For Sight, 12th Annual Conference
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

Saturday, March 28 – Sunday, March 29, 2015

http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference
“A Meeting of Minds”–CNN
The Global Health & Innovation Conference is the world’s largest global health conference and social entrepreneurship conference.  This must-attend, thought-leading conference annually convenes 2,200 leaders, changemakers, students, and professionals from all fields of global health, international development, and social entrepreneurship.  Register by January 20th to secure the lowest registration rate: http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference
Interested in presenting at the conference? Submit a social enterprise pitch abstract for consideration.  Present your early-stage idea, program, or organization to the audience, and then receive guidance, advice, and mentoring from an expert panel. The GHIC Innovation Prize offers two cash awards in the amounts of $10,000 and $5,000 to the two best social enterprise pitches.
Conference Schedule: Engage with 300 speakers in lectures, panels, workshops, and mentoring sessions. See the complete list of conference speakers as well as the conference schedule