GESI-FSD

Sites (Bolivia, India, Nicaragua, Uganda)

GESI-ThinkImpact Sites (South Africa, Kenya)

Northwestern Preparation & Reflection Location Homestays

All students will attend the Pre-Departure Learning Summit taught by Northwestern faculty on the University's campus. Pre-departure curriculum is designed to help students think critically about international development issues, to work effectively in teams, and to learn about their host country. All GESI students must complete readings and assignments given before and during the Pre-Departure Learning Summit. At the end of the program, all students will attend the Final Reflection Summit at Northwestern to share, compare, and reflect on the diversity of experiences students had in all five countries. All students will be required to prepare and present a final poster during this summit. Field placements vary between urban and semi-urban settings. See locations page for specifics. GESI students will live in carefully vetted homestays. When logistically possible, students will live alone with their host family to deepen their cultural immersion. However, single homestay placements are not always possible. At times, GESI students, particularly women, will live with another student, often sharing a double bed. A similar living arrangement is not uncommon for brothers or sisters in the communities, and sharing space is all part of the homestay experience. All host families will cook/provide students with three meals per day. Field placements are rural; students live and work in villages that are approximately 1-hour (by car) to a city or town. GESI students will live with another student in a carefully vetted homestay, often sharing a room and even a double bed. A similar living arrangement is not uncommon for brothers or sisters in the communities, and sharing space is all part of the homestay experience. Homestay families will provide students with breakfast and dinner each day. Lunch will be provided by ThinkImpact country staff.

In-country Staff Direct Supervision

All sites employ professional full-time staff available 24/7 to help students with health, safety, and logistical needs and issues. In-country staff typically consists of 1-2 locals and 1-2 Americans. Staff also provides project guidance and connections to local resources and people, as needed and requested by the students. GESI students' host NGOs will appoint a staff person to supervise the students and their projects. The amount of support the supervisor can provide will depend on his/her existing workload as well as the needs of the students. Students must be patient and persistent when working with supervisors, as they are often busy people managing multiple projects and staff. The FSD in-country staff members are also available to support and advise students on their projects. Each GESI team is appointed a ThinkImpact advisor. Advisors have several years of work and international experience and commit their summer to supporting students on-the-ground. Advisors live in the villages with GESI students, coordinate logistics, communicate with Northwestern faculty and staff (since email access is limited), and lead students through ThinkImpact's in-country curriculum. Advisors also facilitate discussion, reflection, and leadership development activities.

Teams

Students will work in teams of 3 to 5 during GESI Pre-Departure Learning and Final Reflection summits. Students will continue Students will work as teams of 5 to 6 during GESI Pre-Departure Learning and Final Reflection summits. Once in country, to work together in these original teams once in-country as well. however, the original student team will break into Design Teams of 2 to 3 American students with 4 to 6 local community members. The original GESI team of 5 to 6 will meet periodically to support one another and share experiences while they explore different projects and innovations within the community. In-country curriculum and project work focuses on using the tools of asset-based community development and team-based In-country curriculum and group work utilizes asset-based community development principles to spark business innovation in consulting. Projects are conceptualized with direct input from the NGO and/or community members, and implemented by local markets. Curriculum explores the concepts of human-centered design and social entrepreneurship through the three the group, NGO and/or community members. FSD will train students in project planning and budgeting to build strong project phases of Immersion, Inspiration and Innovation. Students will prototype new products and services with community management skills. NGOs work on a range of issues including (but not limited to) health, income generating activities, members before ultimately designing a small-scale businesses or income-generating activity. education, youth, women's issues, and environment.

In-Country Curriculum

In-country Assignments Work Environment

Students will submit 1 to 2 public blog posts, a project proposal, budget, external workplan, and weekly individual reports to their in-country site team and Northwestern faculty. Students will be provided with a journal and/or workbook that they must each complete before returning to Chicago. Assignments are graded by Northwestern faculty. GESI teams will be placed at an NGO. Some NGOs are smaller (5 to 10 staff members) and based directly in the communities GESI students will live in the villages where they work. Students will not be working with an NGO and will not have access to they serve; other NGOs are larger (10 to 25 staff members) with field staff and/or branches throughout the region or country. office space. Instead they will need to find communal places within the village to meet or meet at each other's homes, with The office environment for each NGO varies, depending on the staff size and current resources. Some NGOs will have a the permission of their host families. The ThinkImpact advisors, ThinkImpact staff, and in-country curriculum help provide designated workstation for interns, while others will have a communal work area for all staff members. Students are students structure in the absence of a formal office environment. expected to show professionalism in the office environment. Depending on the nature of the NGO and nature of the students' projects, students may or may not spend much time in the field with community members.

Internet Access & Laptops Seed Money

Many NGOs do not have computers available for interns, so bringing your own laptop is strongly advised. If you do not own a While students will not have internet access, they are encouraged to bring their laptops to type certain assignments. Advisors laptop, please ensure at least one person in your group is bringing one that you can use from time to time. can submit students' assignments electronically as they have some limited internet access. If you do not own a laptop, please ensure at least one person in your group is bringing one that you can use from time to time. Each student is allocated $200 as part of a seed fund for the team to use towards developing an existing project or piloting a new one with the host community. Unused funds will be distributed to the host NGO, sometimes restricted for use on a particular initiative. Students are required to submit a workplan and budget to the FSD site team that details the use of the seed funds before funds are distributed to the group. Students receive $33 as a group to prototype products and services with community design teams. After completing local market research, teams will adjust prototypes to meet market needs, ultimately creating small-scale businesses (or income generating activities) that address a particular challenge in the community. Financial literacy training and access to microcredit institutions are also provided to community members, so that they develop greater business skills and grow the budding social enterprises.

Travel

Some weekend travel (to areas deemed safe by FSD and Northwestern) is allowed, so long as it does not interfere with Students will only travel outside of the communities during excursions organized by ThinkImpact. All modes of transportation, students' work schedule and responsibilities. Students who travel must notify the FSD site team of their whereabouts and aside from ThinkImpact sponsored vehicles, are strictly forbidden. Walking will be the main mode of transportation, with sign a waiver releasing FSD of responsibility associated with their trip. The FSD site team is not responsible for coordinating or ThinkImpact vehicles available for some pre-arranged meetings. Students must be in their homestay by nightfall every night, arranging student travel. unless they are with ThinkImpact staff or advisors. Northwestern has developed the GESI program and host sites in partnership with FSD and ThinkImpact. All sites undergo equal health, safety, and risk assessment and provide high-quality learning opportunities to undergraduates and meaningful partnerships to host communities. Northwestern staff members support students from the time they consider applying to the months and even years after they return. Northwestern's coursework and final reflection activities are designed to holistically equip students with the knowledge, tools, perspective, and skills to explore community development work responsibly and to think critically about the causes of global inequality. By offering a variety of site placement options through the GESI program, Northwestern fosters a comparative learning and reflection environment, so that students can situate poverty, inequality, and community development within a larger context, learn from their peers, and continue their experience forward into new opportunities to do good in the world.

Northwestern Support