 Top: Rivkin as an extra in a Bollywood film. Bottom: Gross with her host family. Photos courtesy of Maxim Rivkin and Claribel Gross. |
By Stephanie Wilkes
Are you a student interested in study abroad, but not sure which program to choose? Consider participating in the Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID) program, which integrates coursework and internship opportunities and allows students to engage with the international public.
“There is not another program in the United States that does internships in this way,” says Heidi Soneson, a program director at the Learning Abroad Center who has been overseeing MSID since 1991. “There are other organizations that have research projects or an internship that is tied to coursework, but MSID is quite unique in offering a real focus on grassroots, non-profit organizations.”
Founded over 20 years ago, MSID began by giving students the chance to study and intern in Senegal. These days, students can choose from Senegal, Ecuador, Ghana, Kenya and India. Students live with a host family, spending the first half of the semester doing coursework with other MSID students and the second half working with a local non-government organization in an internship setting. Students who opt to stay for the full year spend their second semester researching a theme explored in their internship and producing an undergraduate research paper.
Soneson believes that all students can benefit from the MSID experience, but has noticed a certain kind of student who really thrives on it.
“MSID attracts students that really are interested in learning about the world, students who deeply care about the opportunity to participate in the daily lives of a very different country,” says Soneson. “I think they come back with such a rich sense of the ways in which people are trying to enrich and encourage their own community, and I think that is one of the components that sets MSID apart.”
Maxim Rivkin, a senior studying philosophy and physiology who went to India through MSID, says that the aspect of cultural immersion is what initially drew him to the program. Rivkin spent his time in India in Rajasthan, and interned at Prayas, an organization focused on social and economic development in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan.
“What appealed to me about the MSID program was how it pushes you into the culture,” says Rivkin. “The way it is set up, the program gradually expands your comfort level.”
Claribel Gross, a senior majoring in theater, participated in MSID’s Kenya program. She lived in Nairobi and interned at the National Theatre, teaching at the new Drama School.
“I chose MSID over any other program for many reasons,” says Gross. “I was more interested in culturally getting the experience of a country and its people than taking classes on a campus. It was a great fit for me and most students in the program, because we all learned firsthand the challenges a developing country faces.”
In the classroom portion of the program, students spend their time learning about international development, as well as the country and its local language. Class sizes are generally small, from around 25 for the regular classes and ranging from 5 to 10 for the language classes. Courses are taught by indigenous faculty, allowing students to “explore an important theme or idea from another perspective,” says Soneson.
The internship aspect of the program gives students a chance to explore their own personal and academic goals in a real life setting. MSID facilitates the internship, identifying organizations and supervisors based on the students’ needs.
Soneson believes that the MSID internships allow students to engage with the international public on a number of levels.
“There is a very clear tie to the community and to community service,” says Soneson. “I think it is more than service learning; it is also designed to help the student to engage in some way with the activities of the agency based on their needs and have the opportunity to explore significant themes in that internship context.”
The internship allows students to give back, but also to gain some real knowledge, knowledge they can bring back to the States and apply to their academics. Rivkin stresses the importance of this hands-on learning experience.
“There is a big difference between book learning and practical learning,” says Rivkin. “You don’t get the whole picture just by studying something in class – there is a vast difference between just knowing something and experiencing it firsthand.”
Reflecting on her MSID participation, Gross says she is still processing her experiences, and highlights the program as a catalyst in opening up her eyes.
“It is a shrinking world,” says Gross, “and one thing that this shrinking world lacks is understanding and perspective. I think by engaging in the public internationally, students gain both of these.”
For more information about MSID, visit http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/programs/msid/index.shtml.
Stephanie Wilkes is a senior in English and linguistics and a communications intern in the Office for Public Engagement. If you have questions or comments, please e-mail wilk0268@umn.edu.