GSIPM

 

Malvya at the Taj Mahal. It is around half a day’s journey from where she currently lives!

We spoke with Current DPMI Plus student Malvya Chintakindi about her experience as a researcher for the organization Outline India, which specializes in quantitative and qualitative research. She talks about her strategy for finding the right internship, which classes from MIIS have helped her out the most, and advice for working in development.

How early did you start looking for internships?

During my DPMI Monterey classes, I was of the mindset that I would look for an internship as summer approaches – probably during March. I soon realized that I wanted to a internship in India as it is more pertinent and relevant. I actually started looking for jobs/internships in February 2017 and my plans were finalized in May 2017. The earlier one starts, the better.

What was your strategy? 

I had two points in mind – 1. I want to work in India, 2. I would like my role to include Monitoring and Evaluation duties. Finding a job/internship by based the job title alone can be heavily misleading. It is not easy to find a job that says “M & E Officer” or “M & E Specialist” as it may not always be feasible or practical depending on the region of work, terminology used in the region and what “M & E” particularly entails for that specific organization. I broadened my scope of search and looked for anything within the development sector with my own specifics in mind.

What suggestions do you have for interviewing well?

I was myself! Once through the written test, I had a skype interview where I spoke about everything that excites me.

 Which classes at MIIS have been the most practical in terms of the work you are doing now?

 A mock interview with enumerators, before kickstarting fieldwork for a project with Tsuda University, which aims at building a multidimensional index for measuring poverty and life satisfaction.

Definitely DPMI, Program Evaluation, and Organizational Sustainability. I wish that I had taken classes on finance for nonprofits.

What is the best advice you received for working in development?

I have been hearing out anyone who talks to me about the field of development. I think ground level experience is invaluable and I am so excited to embark on ground/field work soon.

A snapshot of one of the enumerators from the Tsuda University project, This project aims to build a multidimensional index to assess the overall life satisfaction of individuals belonging to low and middle-income groups.

What are your plans once the internship is completed?

I will still be working with the same organization and exploring the field of development in India.

What has been the most surprising thing to happen to you since arriving in India?

I am living in a city called Gurugram up north – away from my home city, Hyderabad. It has been a great learning experience to be in a new city, exploring both new foods and culture. I have been mistaken for a school kid so many times!

Any other tips or suggestions for students who are about to begin their internship search?

Be yourself – do not compromise on that. Give everything a very persistent try. Search for internships early and be sincere.

Thank you Malvya! Best of luck!

Full Article Published in Middlebury Magazine

OVER THE PAST HALF DECADE, in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru, two bearded Americans—a couple of Middlebury Institute graduates named Aaron Ebner MPA ’11, and Adam Stieglitz MPA ’11—have made the same harrowing trip hundreds of times. Their starting point is the city of Calca, where they live, and their destination is Lares, a district on the other side of a mountain pass—14,448 feet above sea level—where a group of indigenous, Quechua communities with Incan roots are scattered. Since 2009, Ebner and Stieglitz—under the auspices of their nonprofit organization, the Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development (AASD)—have worked and conducted research in the region, establishing long-term relationships with the campesinos who survive there by farming and raising animals on the steep mountainsides. Ebner (known locally as Ah-ron), Stieglitz (A-dam), and the AASD have, at this point, become household names.

Julio Cesar Nina and Yésica Cusiyupanqui had seen numerous NGOs come and go in their native Peru. What they’ve experienced with the Andean Alliance is a different story.

The AASD is a small, unique NGO. Its mission is to support community-led development projects. Unlike other NGOs, at least those working in the Andes, one of its primary tactics has been the establishment of deep trust-based relationships with the communities in which it works. Since Ebner and Stieglitz started the organization while they were graduate students at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, they have also made academic research and experiential education key components of the alliance’s model. Their approach relies heavily on the help of students who take part in their courses and programs.

International NGOs have traditionally followed and, in many cases, still follow a top-down model of development. In the cartoon version of this model, an NGO shows up in an isolated, poor (by Western metrics) place and tells its residents what they are missing, or what will improve their quality of life, or what skills they should learn. NGOs dig a well, or teach some classes, or do whatever it is that they determine the place needs, despite having never lived there. Then, like a traveling circus, they leave.

Ebner and Stieglitz are critical of this approach but admit that their own mindset when they arrived in Peru was not so different. They gave lip service to the idea of community-led development, but actually came to the Andes like nouveau eco-missionaries, with a plan to build greenhouses next to schools. They believed that this simple idea could immediately create significant improvements in people’s lives. Instead, over the next eight years, they were humbled, frustrated, resented. Some of the greenhouses were ignored or unused, the victims of changing school directors or a lack of community ownership. Ebner and Stieglitz had many sleepless nights wondering what they were doing with their lives, and if their efforts had any value or impact. They spent years without salaries. But they also were not afraid to acknowledge their failures, their misunderstandings, and to use those experiences to help them refine and refocus the alliance’s mission.

Gradually, the AASD has made a small but steadily positive impact. School greenhouse projects led to family greenhouse projects, which turned out to be much more successful and sustainable. (Since 2012, they have helped 65 families build them.) Beginning in 2014, they began emphasizing the experiential-education arm of their organization and started collaborating with Middlebury professors to create courses for both graduate and undergraduate students. Students did a semester of in-class preparation for the work they would do on site in Calca—during J-term or summer recess—then another semester of follow-up reflection and analysis. (The AASD has also conducted an independent research practicum every summer since 2015.) These projects have centered around topics related to social change and communication, climate change, or, this year, school greenhouse gardens. The AASD has then presented its findings to organizations like Calca’s regional office of economic development, ensuring that community members’ wants, needs, and concerns are addressed on the larger institutional and governmental stage.

Several Middlebury Institute alumni have traveled down to Calca and stayed with the AASD after their internships or independent studies ended, including, most notably, two current senior staff members: Gaelen Hayes, the experiential learning program manager, and Christopher Miller, the director of organizational development. Miller told me that he especially values how the AASD establishes long-term relationships with the people who live in the region. Their approach, he added, couldn’t be more different from big governmental or NGO development projects. “We’re not coming into these communities like Oprah: ‘You get a greenhouse! And you get a greenhouse! Everybody gets a greenhouse!’” Miller said. “We know that’s never going to work. Instead, we go to these community assemblies and present these ideas to everyone. Those who are really open to it, really see the benefit of it—that’s where you’ll see success.”

Adam Stieglitz and Aaron Ebner at a school in Choquecancha.

What is scalable, they say, is their hybrid model bridging experiential education with community-led development. Stieglitz believes it will revolutionize the future of education and cross-cultural exchange, and will spread around the world. He sees universities working with other small NGOs to support their grassroots

development efforts by sending students to help them. Students, in turn, have new hands-on and place-based learning opportunities. The model has endless possibilities, some of which have been piloted at Middlebury already: undergraduate students working with a regional economic development office to evaluate their programs, network with other experts in a particular field, and help the office adapt the program to make it better; and wraparound courses that precede and follow a student’s research done in Calca. “It’s not just about a three-week experience during J-term,” Stieglitz said. “It’s everything leading up to that and what comes after.” He imagines an evaluation class in which students design a way to evaluate one of the AASD’s programs, then go to Calca and carry it out; or a live case study, in which people in a community in Peru are involved in the class taking place at Middlebury. “It’s about building that cohesion,” he said. “Experiential education is adding value locally, in Peru.” But in their model, it’s “not just about students coming in and helping communities. There is also this bilateral flow, push and pull—what students are taking away from these brilliant sustainable communities as it relates to their studies.”

Read the full article published in Middlebury Magazine here.

…

We spoke with the always delightful Dave Malacki about his current IEM practicum experience in Portland, Oregon. Read on to see what he has to say about the pros and cons of staying local vs. working abroad, post-practicum plans, and tips on finding the best practicum fit for you!

How did you find your practicum? What is your job title? How big is your office?

My practicum search first began by identifying liberal arts institutions in California, and after discussing some options with IEM faculty I expanded my geographic search northward into the Pacific Northwest (PNW). I conducted informational interviews with IEM students on practicum and IEM alum in the PNW as well as having a cold email template ready to send to any institution that met my search criteria.

I held multiple conversations with the assistant director in Lewis & Clark College’s Overseas & Off-Campus Programs office and opted to join their team based on the projects I desired working on that aligned with their needs. The Overseas office has three full-time staff members and three student workers. I’m serving as their graduate assistant for the term.

What has been the most surprising/unexpected thing to happen to you at work?

Well, before even having the first conversation with LC I knew their study abroad participation rate was rather high (60-65%), yet did not expect such high interest from newly matriculated students. This was a pleasant surprise and required me adapting my advising strategy away from major-specific advising more towards general education advising as most freshmen have yet to declare majors.

On another note, the first project I worked on was a rather robust redesign of their application portal. Due to it being a large project, it was somewhat daunting and required working with campus stakeholders to identify resources available on campus to reduce the final price point. It was surprisingly challenging, yet very rewarding to see it implemented for all fall applicants.

What are the pros and cons of doing your practicum in the U.S. vs abroad?

Well, doing practicum in the US was a very personal decision between my partner and I. We both would have loved to live overseas, but didn’t really want to go through immigration procedures again if we decided to come back to the US.

A pro of doing practicum anywhere in the US is the ability to network in that location. It’s great to do phone informational interviews, yet doing them face-to-face really helps both parties establish a bit more rapport which could lead to potential job notifications earlier.

Do you have a favorite local Portland spot?

Ohh, I have this awesome tea spot, Tea Chai Té (where I’m ironically writing this), that serves the best milk tea I’ve had outside of China! To jive with the hipster vibe, one of their locations is inside of an old train caboose.

Aside from businesses, the entire Columbia River Gorge and areas around Mt. Hood for hiking and exploring are easily my favorite places to enjoy some time in nature and escape from city life. Unfortunately, the fires in the Gorge have closed a couple of the epic trails I did there. However, for anyone looking to get some awesome exposure, the Cooper Spur trail on the NW flanks of Hood offers views of Rainier, St. Helens, Adams, Jefferson, and on clear days a couple of the Sisters. It tops off around 8,500 feet with nearly 5,000 feet of elevation gain in about five miles. Well worth the constant trudge up!

Which IEM course has helped prepare you the most in your daily work?

It’s difficult to pinpoint one specific course, yet based on the book that I find myself reaching for in the office most days I suppose Education Abroad Management. Advanced Topics in Education Abroad, as well as Design & Assessment, were both highly useful in the work that I’ve done thus far, too. I’m continually referring to the NAFSA Guide to Education Abroad to ensure that my project work is getting rooted in established practice. Both skills developed through D&A, along with topics discussed during Advanced Topics have helped me greatly in drafting reports and informing the designs of projects.

Do you have any plans post-practicum? If so, what are they?

Find a job! Extending beyond that I’m planning on returning to Pittsburgh a bit later in 2018 to see my two best friends get married. As always, I have plenty of concerts I want to attend and the northwest is a great place to ensure that happens! Professionally speaking, I do want to stay connected in the field through conference attendance and establishing connections with organizations like Lessons From Abroad and PDX Abroad.

What has been your favorite cultural experience?

I think most of my classmates know I have a keen interest in live music. Recently, I caught a performance by a solo pianist in an old church that had the most amazing acoustics. It certainly helped that the performer was covering mostly Phish and The Grateful Dead, two of my favorite bands. Initially, I wanted to write going to Powell’s Bookstore for the first time, but that just seemed too generic. However, Powell’s is a great place to get lost on any rainy day!

Final thoughts?

The process of finding a practicum site accompanying with having a full course load was a stressful experience for myself. I had classmates that didn’t find practicum until well after the end of the spring term, and having that patience could prove useful when determining the best fit.

Best of luck in the future Dave!

For fall 2017, a total of 58 Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey students will participate in our distinguished semester long immersive learning programs, to be placed around the country and the globe. Domestically, students are as close as Monterey, CA and as far away as Washington, D.C. Internationally, they are spread across five continents.

Programs include the International Education Management (IEM) Practicum, DPMI Plus, International Organizations and Nonproliferation Program (IONP), and the Boren Fellows Program.

Below is a list of current participants, their organizations, and their locations.

International Education Management (IEM) Practicum

DPMI Plus

Boren Fellows

International Organizations and Nonproliferation Program (IONP)

Leave of Absence

2 or 3-week international development and social change training open to all degree programs with optional credit-bearing internship/job fellowship open to DPP and IEP students.

All students interested in DPMI & DPMI PLUS, are recommended to attend this INFO SESSION on Tuesday, Sept 19, 2017, at Casa Fuente-434.

Calling all creative MIISfits interested in flexing your ideation and innovation muscles!

26 participants successfully completed three-week Certificate in International Development and Social Change program on June 23, 2017. The participants constituted United College Scholars, Middlebury Institute and Middlebury College Students, and international development professionals. As a field visit, the participants got opportunities to visit several development organizations in DC and explore the trends in the development sector. Read the testimonies of the United World Scholars below: 

I applied for the DPMI program because of its relevance to my current role at a microfinance technology startup. Tasked with creating and implementing pilot interventions I was actively searching for frameworks with which to formalize the design process within my organization. In addition to learning and practicing with tools on program design, I gained critical leadership skills, design thinking exercises, and was given time to develop my theory of change within the development sector. A major highlight of the DPMI program was getting to know the other cohort members- especially the UWC participants.

The group work exercises allowed us to learn from each other’s academic, professional and personal experiences with development. Beryl’s weeklong simulation was also a deeply immersive learning experience. I appreciated the visit to the Organization of the American States (OAS) as an opportunity to visualize an alternative path within the development sector. Ultimately, the DPMI program, along with the framework and tools imparted will be relevant irrespective of which sector they are approached and utilized through.  

– Amita Ramachandran, Macalester College, ’15 (Economics & International Development)

 

When I applied for the DPMI program, I was a senior International Politics and Economics major at Middlebury College. I directed most of my academic career towards an interdisciplinary pursuit of subjects related to international development. My interest in the field has been largely shaped and informed by my experiences at home in the Philippines; I constantly think about how I might contribute to the betterment of my country and society.

Three weeks of DPMI was crucial in my efforts to build connections between the theoretical approach I was exposed to in a liberal arts education, and the practical tools and skills applied in the field. It was inspiring to learn from such seasoned instructors and facilitators, the frameworks that are widely used in addressing global and systemic problems. While it might be a few years before I pursue a career in international development, I am grateful to DPMI for allowing me a close look at some of what international development work could involve.

– Gabbie Santos, Middlebury College ’17 (International Politics & Economics)

25 participants gathered in Washington, DC, in June 2017 for the Certificate in International Development and Social Change, a professional graduate certificate program offered by Middlebury Institute. The certificate program centers around careers in program design, partnering, management, and Innovation (DPMI). The participants constituted Middlebury College & MIIS students, UWC Scholars, and International Development and Social Change practitioners. The DPMI program has been a big draw for MIIS and MIDD students that allows them to connect and build bridges between the two Middlebury campuses in Vermont and California. The students are not just learning about the recipes of international development and social change, but they are also connecting with one another and learning to work together.

The Certificate in International Development and Social Change program is also offered in January 2018 at Monterey. Please share this with someone who might be interested. To learn more about the program, click here.

The D-Prize social venture competition is live!   If selected we will award you up to $20,000 to launch a pilot in any region where extreme poverty exists. D-Prize funds new entrepreneurs who increase access to proven poverty interventions. Can you design a business or NGO that solves one of the Distribution Challenges below:

+ GIRL’S EDUCATION

+ AGRICULTURE

+ ENERGY

+ GLOBAL HEALTH

+ EDUCATION

+ GOVERNANCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE

+ CUSTOM

Interested in applying? Visit www.d-prize.org for details.

Heather Rahimi MAIEM ‘17 has spent the last four months on practicum at the University of Utah Asia campus in Incheon, South Korea.  Having never set foot on the Asian continent prior to her practicum, Heather utilized takeaways from her MIIS coursework, non-verbal communication and flexibility to excel throughout her experience.

What has been the most surprising thing you have encountered on your practicum in Korea?

Seeing as it’s my first time in South Korea, let alone Asia, I have encountered many surprises. I think the biggest surprise, or at least the one that has had the biggest positive impact on me, is understanding that one doesn’t need verbal language to communicate with others. My Korean is limited to “hello”, “thank you”, and “goodbye”, so coming here inspired a certain amount of fear in me. However, I discovered so much can be said without words, especially in Korea. A simple grunt can say a million words! These days I grunt at everything, it can mean “yes”, “oh!”, “I understand”, “I’m so sorry”, you name it! So here is a word of caution to all those who see me after I return state-side, be prepared for countless grunts, warm smiles, and a little bit of pushing.

Credit: Snow College News

What has been one of the most valuable skills or takeaways from your coursework at MIIS that has helped you succeed in your practicum work?

I was pretty nervous for my first day on the job, I was certain I wouldn’t know anything and would have to constantly ask my supervisor for help. But, I quickly found out, my coursework at MIIS had taught me so much more than I thought and left me utterly, if not overly, prepared for this position. I was most grateful for the skills I learned in my Staff Management course. Even as an intern, I definitely needed to manage up, be aware of cross-cultural differences, such as communication styles, and be prepared to lead a meeting when no one else was up for the task.

How has your experience in Korea informed what you hope to do next (whether or not you know what that is at the moment)?

My practicum position at UAC has taught me many invaluable lessons and enabled me to grow as a person and a professional. As an intern, I have been able to work on a variety of projects that wouldn’t typically fall under one person’s job responsibilities. Each project has given me insight into what type of work I want to do in my future and made me realize that although I would prefer to work in education abroad, I am now also open to and enjoy working in international student and scholar services. Whereas before I only wanted to work in education abroad, I can now broaden the scope of my job search and better identify positions that I will thrive in based on my first-hand experience with job responsibilities and work environments.

Every semester we offer weekend workshops to our graduate students on a wide variety of topics from Development Practice and Policy, Intercultural Competence, International Education Management,  and Nonproliferation & Terrorism Studies.

The Professional Development Weekend Workshops are also open to interested professionals, community members, and students and faculty from other institutions. Access the Fall 2017 workshop listing. For inquiries, please contact: professional.dev@miis.edu.

Apply for a weekend workshop.

Search weekend workshop descriptions in our course catalog.

http://www.miis.edu/academics/short/executive-education/options/weekend-workshops

Addy Michelle Jimenez Haga, IPD

United Nations Centre for Peace, Disarmament, and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, Peru

January 2nd to June 31^st, 2017

Summary of Experience:

Throughout my internship with the United Nations (UN), I have been given the privilege to learn about administrative mannerisms, arms trafficking, forensic ballistics, Resolution 1540, the missing links within the private security sector, and life cycle of its projects, how the UN executes grant writing and much more. I have been able to integrate into an 8-5 job, where I work mostly alone, and where I have developed my own due dates; this has been a change from the intense, rich feedback and team oriented culture at MIIS. However, it has been an enriching experience, and extremely conducive towards seamlessly introducing me to the paying-professional world after I honorably receive my Master’s degree from MIIS.

UNLIREC asked me to keep my blog discrete, which motivated me to be more involved and creative within my in Lima. From the congested city, endless honking, foul smells, to the loving people, kind souls, and delectable food, all whilst enduring stomach infections throughout. This opportunity has tested my resilience and has shown me that I am much more capable, patient, smarter and stronger than I thought.

Thank you for contributing towards this internship in Lima, Peru. I was once told in Peace Corps to represent America as if I was an ambassador each and every day; I have taken this mentality with me everywhere I go. With this said, I am honored to represent MIIS, and am working as hard as possible, being as innovative as possible, and being as positive as possible, to leave the Mafia footprint in Lima.

Read Addy’s blog

If you have any art project that you would like to share with Committee on Art in Public Places (CAPP) or want to organize an art exhibition on campus, please submit Arts Project Proposal. For more details click here.

Hey all! Next week is Symposium! Come out (or log on to Zoom) and support current practicum students in the 8-10am and 4-6pm sessions, as well as those in the 12-2pm session presenting on NAFSA Advocacy Day, Team Spain, CIES and Diversity Abroad!

To log-on via Zoom (no download required), please visit http://go.miis.edu/iemsymp2017

TALLER PARA LA GESTIÓN DE IMPACTO SOCIAL (TGIS) TGIS is a competitive international program in Medellín, Colombia for current and aspiring social impact practitioners on project design and management, impact measurement, and organizational sustainability. Participants collaborate with Colombian and international students, professionals, and community leaders to solve real issues using cutting-edge tools. TGIS is an unparalleled experience in a collaborative classroom environment where participants learn methods they can apply directly in their work. The program also offers MIIS students the opportunity for a 12-week internship in conjunction with the course, with placements across Colombia. The TGIS curriculum is created in cooperation with the Program on Design, Partnering, Management and Innovation (DPMI).

To learn more and apply, visit: http://fundacione2e.org/en_US/tgis-application/

TGIS June Flyer MIIS (1)

Have you made a connection with the local Monterey Community during your time at MIIS? If you have, please do share your stories with us. We will feature you and your partnership with the community. BE PART OF A PHOTO ESSAY showing MIIS & Monterey Community Partnership. Your stories will be developed as photo exhibit that will be displayed on MIIS Campus, Monterey Museum of Arts, and local city halls.

Send us an email if you want to be part of the project or want to nominate someone for the project at immersive@miis.edu 

Deadline: April 21, 2017

Please check out the Community Collaboration Lab page and Explore the Past, Present and Future of Collaborative Learning. MIIS and California State University at Monterey Bay (CSUMB) have been collaborating on a project called Community CollaborationLab (CoLab). The underlying question being explored is: How might we have more meaningful, long-term engagements with community organizations that we partner with? This includes student, faculty and staff projects, practica and research. In an effort to collect and share historical data, Immersive Learning has been capturing a range of information on collaborative learning with the local community and surrounding areas. The list of the local partner organizations are listed on our database, if you exploring organizations for summer internships in Monterey County.