A new summer internship opportunity has been launched by the Middlebury Center for Social Entrepreneurship (MCSE) in conjunction with the The Center for Social Impact Learning (CSIL) at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) with the goal of supporting students as agents of social change.
Introduced this academic year, the program known as Ambassador Corps was brought to the College by Jeremy Hildebrand, founder of the Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of the Pacific in California, who is now the director for CSIL at MIIS.
Mustafa Babak, CSE program and outreach associate as well as the point-person between the CSE at Middlebury and CSIL at MIIS, describes the program as an “extraordinary opportunity for Middlebury students,” for its unique and well-structured nature.
Open to College students of all class years, applicants are chosen by the Center for Social Impact Learning at MIIS through a rigorous selection process. Successful applicants are placed in one of MIIS’s partner organizations around the globe, at a location that matches the students’ skills and area of interest. Past students who have participated in the program at the University of the Pacific have interned in countries such as Nepal, Paraguay, Uganda, Vietnam, China, Rwanda and Kenya, working on projects associated with public health, disaster relief and micro-finance.
There is a program fee of $2,000 for the 8 to 12 week program; however, eligible students (such as those receiving financial aid from the College) can apply for bulk-funding from the CSE to help cover the costs, as a result of a generous donation.
Babak, who is familiar with the program as a graduate of the University of the Pacific, said, “I have met all of the students who have participated in Ambassador Corps, and they all come back a completely different person.”
As a result of the enriching experience, some students have developed long term relationships with the organizations, and often return to work for them upon graduating.
“The program is not only enriching for American students, but it is also enriching for the local communities in which the students make an impact,” Babak said. “The program works on the ethic of ‘paying it forward’, and the great thing about the way it works is that there is definitely a fruitful and tangible outcome for the students upon completion.”
Although the deadline for the first round of applications already passed on March 10th, students who are interested can apply for the second round of applications that are due on April 10. According to Babak, avid and experienced entrepreneurs, as well as those who are beginners to social entrepreneurship are all encouraged to apply, as long as students are able to demonstrate their passion for social change.
