Organization
Background
We are a young nonprofit based in Guilford, CT, USA. Our mission is to help colleges and universities provide high quality international education to more students so all have the opportunity to create paths to successful careers and lives in our complex global world. Our virtual exchange approach provides a low-cost, relative speedy on-ramp for creating sustainable campus internationalization strategies. Called "Click," (Collaborative Learning for International Capabilities and Knowledge), we harness a troika of tools — faculty talent, technology and travel — to enable students to develop their international capabilities through cross-country teamwork in classroom settings. Beyond the classroom connections, travel opportunities supply key motivators for funders, students and faculty. After 2.5 years with our first major project with the Connecticut Community College International Education Initiative, we are poised to start growing “the business”, adding new institutional and individual clients and partners in the US, France, Mexico and other locations. Our services include: training for teachers new to Virtual Exchange (VE), VE facilitator training for colleges and universities, strategic planning, and assessment.
Sponsor
Nancy L. Ruther, EdD, Principal & Founder of Gazelle International
Purpose
The internship will add value in several ways:
- Deepen the knowledge base around international higher education initiatives as well as Virtual Exchange and its results;
- Narrate faculty and student experiences with a compelling story line to attract additional educators and institutions to the work; and
- Strengthen and increase institutional partnerships and the network of faculty connections with Click, our version of Virtual Exchange.
Career Development
This internship will prepare intern for careers in any of the following
- Faculty
- Higher-Ed and research administration
- Entrepreneurship in non-profits
- Education consulting
- Teaching
Responsibilities
The “virtual learning liaison” will be an integral part of the training, coaching and materials development activities at the core of our work at Gazelle International. The intern will develop training materials and workshops for teachers who are new to Virtual Exchange. They will help put together conference presentations regarding the training and methods used by Gazelle International to prepare teachers for Virtual Exchange. They will communicate with faculty from colleges across the world that work with us. The intern will learn to use LinkrEducation, one of our classroom connection platforms, to share questions, concerns, lessons, tips and “best practices” across the Click network and with the larger VE professional community. They will also write blog posts for Manage Gazelle International’s website in order to share our work with potential college partners and teachers. The intern will participate in the coaching process for teachers who are new to Virtual Exchange. This internship will give students the chance to contribute meaningfully to the evolving goals and practices of Gazelle International. Professional development areas include:
- Learning to work in a virtual environment
- Communicating with teachers across cultures and time zones
- Coaching teachers and leading workshops in cross-cultural and interdisciplinary areas
- Learning about the community college system in the US and university systems overseas
- Targeting teachers’ learning needs with a mix of compelling, useful materials
We provide a unique entrepreneurial environment and insider view of innovation in higher education as a start-up nonprofit that provides training and consulting services for international higher education with a cutting-edge approach in Virtual Exchange and targeting community colleges and under-served institutions.
Skills Development
This internship will provide experiences to develop and polish the following skills
- Communication to diverse audience
- Inter-disciplinary team collaboration
- Knowledge of sector and networking
- Thought leadership and innovation
- Problem-solving and analytical
- Project management and leadership
- Teaching, mentoring and training
- Working in a Virtual environment
Mentoring Plan
The intern will receive direct mentoring and supervision by the sponsor, including initial training and orientation with regard to the mission of the organization and standards for communication, with the expectation of increasing autonomy as the internship progresses. As relevant, the intern may be offered the opportunity to attend and present work at professional conferences on international higher education and virtual exchange. As a largely virtual work arrangement, the normal means of communication will be via Zoom, WhatsApp, phone and email. Normally, the work will be conducted on a weekly basis with multi-week goals and weekly team meetings. As possible, the sponsor will travel to UVA to meet with the intern in person, provide orientation and begin developing the specific plans for the work as part of the Gazelle International team.
Desired Qualities
Prospective interns should have baseline experience in some of these areas and the motivation to develop professionally in each of them.
- Good communication skills in writing and in person by phone or in virtual meetings.
- Problem solving in digital humanities, matching tech to teaching needs
- An understanding of teaching and learning systems (pedagogy, curriculum) and familiarity with different higher education systems and cross-cultural differences around the world
- Ability to work virtually with good project management skills, e.g. schedules and deliverables
Prior experience in teaching and working with a Center for Teaching and Learning or similar techno-pedagogy support center for teachers would be highly useful. Experience managing initiatives in a professional environment or student organization is preferred. Cross-cultural and/or second language study-work experience helpful.
Duration and Effort
The internship will commence in Fall of 2020 and continue through Spring 2021, involving average effort of10 hours per week over 20 weeks each semester. The intern will work remotely in Charlottesville with regular check-ins with mentor.
Funding
Up to $5000 per semester in wage raplacement or augementing general living support.