AT A GLANCE Start dates (2022): May 29 | Jun 19 | Jul 10 | Jul 31 | Aug 28 | Sep 25 | Oct 23 | Nov 20 Duration: 4 weeks or longer Credit: 4 US credits (~ 8 ECTS credits) for eligible university students Eligibility: Undergrad, grad Program fees: US $2,470 (4 weeks) + US $430 per extra week |
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Course overview
For students who wish to dive deeper into the topic of applied sustainable development, we organize 4+ week long multi-disciplinary internships in the form of a Community Field Experience at our program locations in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Vietnam, as well as virtually.
Depending on your study background and interests, we match you with one of our community partners, typically a local high school. After a comprehensive on-site orientation in your gateway city (Nairobi, Kigali, Cape Town, or Ho Chi Minh City), you’ll transfer to the site location for the remainder of your internship.
Your days will typically consist of three types of activities: You will engage in an action-oriented field research project relating to one or several pressing SDG topics. You will organize and implement guided extracurricular activities for local high school students or other community members relating to one or several pressing SDG topics. And you will further your skills, knowledge, and understanding to address sustainability challenges and opportunities in a holistic way by attending Virtual Global Classroom sessions and completing related assignments.
The internship builds on the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) approach coined by UNESCO. Accordingly, we use an “action-oriented, transformative pedagogy, which supports, self-directed learning, participation and collaboration, problem-orientation, inter- and transdisciplinarity, and the linking of formal and informal learning”.
Highlights:
- Develop cross-cutting key competencies for sustainability that are relevant to all SDGs.
- Develop specific learning outcomes needed to achieving selected particular SDGs.
- Conduct an action-oriented field research project relating to one or several pressing SDG topics.
- Organize and implement guided extracurricular activities for local high school students or other community members.
- Explore sustainable development opportunities and challenges in a leading African or Asian success story.
- Broaden your personal and professional network, and build lasting international friendships.
Program locations
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Kenya The political and economic leader of East Africa, Kenya might still be most well-known internationally for the immense diversity and beauty of its landscapes and wildlife. But that’s only part of the story. In recent years, its capital Nairobi has become an epicenter for innovation. This is best seen by exploring the incredible tech startup scene with its dozens of accelerators, incubators, and innovation hubs. |
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Rwanda One of today’s greatest development success stories, Rwanda is Africa’s prime study abroad jewel. The country underwent a breathtaking transformation since the 1994 genocide. A model for poverty reduction and economic growth, it accounts for the highest percentage of women in parliament anywhere in the world. And the streets of its modern green capital Kigali are clean, safe, and free of corruption. |
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South Africa
South Africa has emerged from its troubled and turbulent past into a healthy democratic country and the economic powerhouse of the African continent. At the same time, it’s a great place to witness a society going through dynamic changes, as it can still be considered both a developed and an underdeveloped country. South Africans forge a new identity, strongly embracing their unique multicultural character. |
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Vietnam
The Asian Dragon is undergoing some of the fastest socio-economic changes any country in the world has seen. It is a major development success story with remarkable rates of economic growth since the start of massive political and economic reforms in 1986. But the lure of modern living has a deep impact on the traditional networks of family and community that continue to play a pivotal role in society. |
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Academics
The internship is offered as a 4+ week community field experience. All participants meet at their gateway cities (Nairobi, Kigali, Cape Town, Ho Chi Minh City) for a comprehensive in-country orientation. Afterwards, they transfer to their respective local host communities alone or in small groups. Such host communities can consist of a neighborhood in the gateway city, a smaller city or town, or also a more rural area. Here, they spend the remainder of their internship.
At their host communities, participants engage in three types of activities: (1) They conduct an action-oriented field research project relating to one or several pressing SDG topics. (2) They organize and implement guided extracurricular activities for local high school students or other community members relating to one or several pressing SDG topics. (3) They further their skills, knowledge, and understanding to address sustainability challenges and opportunities in a holistic way by attending Virtual Global Classroom sessions and completing related assignments.
Research topics and extracurricular activities typically build on GEI’s long-term approaches with each community host institution. Most relate to our interdisciplinary tracks – currently Economic Empowerment, Education for Sustainable Development, Environmental Sustainability, Mental Health, Public Health, and Women & Leadership. Examples of projects include the development and implementation of a community sustainability monitoring framework, the creation of teaching aids that can be used in sustainability and STEM education, the implementation of a school mental health awareness campaign, or the creation of local micro-enterprises.
Further details:
Dates, fees, and scholarships
The program dates are generally identical across our four program locations – Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Vietnam.
Program | Application due | Start date | End date | Fees* |
Summer 1 | April 1, 2022 | May 29, 2022 | June 25, 2022 | US $2,470 (4 weeks) + US $430 per additional week |
Summer 2 | April 1, 2022 | June 19, 2022 | July 16, 2022 | |
Summer 3 | May 1, 2022 | July 10, 2022 | August 6, 2022 | |
Summer 4 | May 1, 2022 | July 31, 2022 | August 27, 2022 | |
Fall 1 | July 1, 2022 | August 28, 2022 | September 24, 2022 | |
Fall 2 | July 1, 2022 | September 25, 2022 | October 22, 2022 | |
Fall 3 | September 1, 2022 | October 23, 2022 | November 19, 2022 | |
Fall 4 | September 1, 2022 | November 20, 2022 | December 17, 2022 | |
* Early bird discount (10%) available until March 1, 2022 for all program dates. |
We value full transparency and no hidden costs. As a result, you won’t have any disappointing surprises when you arrive.
Included in your program fees are airport transfers; on-site orientation with housing (single or twin sharing), meals, activities, excursions, and local transportation; transfers to and from the host community; housing with breakfast at the host community; full-time leadership and support; pre-departure advising; and health insurance.
It is important that you take note of what is explicitly not included in the program fees. This helps you budget. Not included are the transportation to/from the program location airport (including international airfare and taxes), visas, immunizations, meals and local transportation at the host community, excursions that you may want to do in your own time during weekends, general items and services of a personal nature, medical expenses not covered by the insurance provided, and other discretionary expenses.
In addition, if you are an undergraduate student and want to seek academic credit, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via GEI’s academic school of record, The College of New Jersey, which carries an additional fee of US $125 per credit.
Scholarships:
GEI offers scholarships for students with proven academic or extra-curricular merit. You can find additional information in the following blog post: Scholarships.
Our program staff
Our in-country program staff consists of experienced local education, sustainability, and program operations experts.
![]() Yvan Rubengebenge | ![]() Cailin Human, MBA |
![]() Thuy Phan, MA |
![]() Francoise Uzamukunda, MA |
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![]() Eric Kingoina, DCS |
![]() Solange Uwera, BSc |
![]() Adeline Imanirakiza, DIS |
![]() Amy Lin, MA |
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