ECUADOR - Social Entrepreneur Internships

Program Dates: May 10-July 16, 2010*

APPLICATION PERIOD:   December 4-January 29, 2010
CLICK HERE to apply for the ECUADOR CBL-IFC
(Link will only be active between these dates.)

DOWNLOAD THE ECUADOR FLIER:

The Government Department and the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement are pleased to announce a new community-based learning internship for credit for current students. Eight  students will have the opportunity to enroll in a ten  week for-credit summer internship course this summer. Students will spend two weeks at Franklin & Marshall College and eight weeks working with local NGOs in rural Ecuador.

APPLICATIONS DUE:  The application period will open in December, 2009
WHO:          Open to current sophomores and juniors. (Some Spanish is preferred)
WHERE:      2 weeks training at Franklin & Marshall College and 8 weeks in Ecuador
WHEN:       2010-MAY 10-21: Training at F&M – May 23-July 16: in Ecuador*
COST:         $5,000* (Cost includes airfare, program cost & internship-for-credit)
*Program dates and cost are subject to change. A $300 non- refundable deposit is due with your application. $4,700 balance is due by April 3. Cost is not all-inclusive. Innoculations, some meals, and some travel expenses are not included. Housing while training at F&M is included, transportation from campus to the airport is included. Return transportation from the airport may not be included, unless you return to the F&M Campus. Contact the Ware Insititue for more cost details. A number of scholarships may be available on a merit & need basis. The course will be limited to 8 students. Marshall Scholars can apply to use funds for the CPS Marshall Scholar program for this program.
COURSE CREDIT:  Upon completion of all the requirements of the course,** students will receive 1 full internship-for-credit course credit, graded on a pass/no pass basis.
**For full course requirements, please contact Dr. Susan Dicklitch.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a 10-week community-based learning internship for credit. Students will spend two weeks at Franklin & Marshall College and then eight weeks in Ecuador, working with an organization called Social Entrepreneur Corps.  Students will be introduced to the theories and realities of the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in economic development and social entrepreneurship.

In Ecuador, students will be placed in home stays and will be trained by Social Entrepreneur Corps staff to work with local women’s NGOs as consultants for social enterprises, for the benefit of the community. Students will be placed in the rural areas of Loja, San Juan Bosco, and Paute, Pacific Coast. Upon return to Franklin & Marshall College, students will present their field work report to the class, and reflect upon their field experience.

Click here to see more photos on Photobucket of the 2009 Ecuador Internship.

Click on the link to view Vivian Diaz's Ecuador photos.

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR CORPS PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Through participation in innovative rural development work within a challenging cultural, language learning and grassroots environment, Social Entrepreneur Corps ensures that participants will:

➢    Gain insights into the opportunities, inherent risks and limitations involved in third world development
➢    Have ample opportunities to significantly increase language proficiency
➢    Observe, learn and live in a diversity of cultural settings
➢    Experience home stay living with local families
➢    Have the opportunity to visit an array of development and relief organizations
➢    Be offered the opportunity to make a significant contribution in a highly structured manner working side by side with field based social entrepreneurs
Through classes, case studies, discussions, analysis, living with the local population, as well as through visits and active participation with local NGO’s and social entrepreneurs, interns will make a profound community impact whilst gaining an in-depth knowledge of rural economic development. The desired outcomes for the program are that interns:

➢    Will have gained an understanding of the key differences, advantages and disadvantages of varied international relief and economic development models
➢    Will feel knowledgeable with regards to the challenges and opportunities inherent in the creation of successful social entrepreneurship models, implementation strategies and tactics.
➢    Will have learned and practiced effective strategies for training, mentoring and supporting local social entrepreneurs
➢    Will have contributed to the identification and design of new social entrepreneurship opportunities for local constituents
➢    Will have gained an understanding of the challenges confronting the rural population specifically
➢    Will feel comfortable interacting with the local population on a general, family and individual level
➢    Will have gained an understanding of the cultural and professional "do's" and "don'ts" of living and working in a rural development environment such as Guatemala and Ecuador
➢    Will understand how the rural population lives, works and what they aspire to achieve
➢    Will have significantly improved their conversational Spanish capabilities
➢    Will have gained an understanding of the nuance of language in developing country environments