Youth Internship - Summer 2015
Bighelp Youth Internship Program
Bighelp invites children from 6th grade and 12th grade to participate in the 'Bighelp Youth Internship Program' in India during their summer vacation in India. This program provides a platform for non-resident Indian (NRI) children globally to learn and understand the culture of their peers in India by spending time together in a classroom environment.
Highlights of the program:
- Earn volunteer hours through internship opportunity abroad
- Internship at your preferred location or choice of government public school in India*
- Great opportunity for parents to give back to their school/community through their children
- Be a part of a reputed non-profit organization dedicated for education
- Freedom in creating and executing your dream project, from start to finish
- Demonstrate leadership skills by being a role model
- Cultural exchange through peer groups abroad
- Expert advice and guidance from experienced members of the organization
- NRI children living anywhere in the world can participate
In this program, children will be visiting a government public school in a village of their choice in India*, organizing a workshop, sharing their experience and learning from the local children. The objective of this program is to help non-resident Indian children learn the public education system in India, while making them partners in spreading the educational awareness in India. The objective also includes providing volunteer opportunity for children to earn community service hours for their school/college admissions.
Bighelp teams in the USA and India, the parents of the participating child and the participating school will be working collaboratively to implement this program. In this program, children visit public schools in India where their parents or grandparents studied and organize a 2 day workshop in their respective school. Parents will be identifying the school of their choice in India, preferably where they studied or originated. Bighelp will coordinate with the school and facilitate the workshop.
Registration Process: All NRI children living anywhere in the world, currently in 6th to 12th grade, with broadband internet connection and phone at home, are eligible to register in this program. All registered students will need to participate in at least 3 conference or Skype calls of 1 hour each to learn the process and demonstrate their workshop readiness before start of their vacation.
Registration for Summer 2015 internship is closed now.
Donation to support the school: Registered students are required to make a donation of $250 to support the school in India that they will be doing the workshop. Around 30 to 40 schools bags (backpacks) will be prenseted to the top performing children using the 100% of this donation.
Optionally the participating children may also raise funds through their community service projects and further support the school in India.
Workshop Model: Below is an example of how a typical workshop is organized. However, Bighelp will provide all the requisite information to each registered students to help customize their agenda for the workshop.
Day 1
15min: Introduction
45min: Visit few classrooms and familiarize with the school infrastructure.
60 min: Identify a classroom of same grade as the visiting student and perform the following.
a. Introduce yourself
b. Get familiar with students and classroom and explain about your school in US. Below are few example of what you can say.
• Name of your city, your state
• Name of the school
• Number of children in your school
• Number of children in your class room and teacher student ratio.
• Typical setup in your classroom
• How a typical day goes in your school
• The subjects you study at your school
c. Discuss the differences/similarities between US an India and answer any questions pertaining to US that you are able to.
60 min: Writing or Speaking Workshop. Provide a topic to children in your class and ask them to speak or write about it. Below are few suggestions that make good topics.
• Do you like school, why or why not?
• What do you want to become when you grow up? Why?
• What does School mean to you
• If you become a teacher, what subject would you teach? Why?
60 min: A fun game or art demonstration. Play a fun game or organize an art contest. Give a theme for the contest and provide all the material (including paper and pencils) for the contest.
Day 2
60 min: Make Origami/Paper toys and decorate paper with crayons or colored pencils. Following are examples.
• Picture Frame
• Paper Cup
• Bench
• Fan
60 min: Do a science experiment.
60 min: Present small prizes for winners from the fun game or writing/speaking workshop. Present a small memento to each of the children in the classroom (example: pencil, pen, US penny coin etc.)
60 min: Present an item or facility worth Rs. 10,000 to school. The donated item or facility should be useful for the entire school. Bighelp will work with school staff and determine the best way to make use of the donated amount for the benefit of the school. Example: providing a water tank for school or benches in a class room or lunch plates for mid-day meal program or sports equipment etc.
Take pictures with teachers and students. Farewell.
Post Workshop: After the workshop, students should write a paper describing their experience and send to Bighelp along with few photos. Students will also send their report to their local newspapers after getting an approval from Bighelp.
Certificate: Bighelp will mail a "Volunteer Certificate" to the student with his/her earned community service hour credits.
* If the school of your first choice is not available for this internship during the requested timeframe, we will try to get a school of your second or third choice.