Team4Tech Summer 2018 Internship

This is a fully-funded experience by Middlebury College which includes meals and lodging at the incredible Chilamate Rainforest Eco-Retreat (http://www.chilamaterainforest.com/), and in-country transportation. Transportation to and from Costa Rica, is not included. Students will be responsible for round-trip travel costs associated with getting to Costa Rica. Students who require financial aid may apply for funding to offset travel expenses (please indicate this in your cover letter). Priority consideration will be given to student applicants on financial aid.

Team4Tech (http://www.team4tech.org/) works to advance the quality of education in developing countries by connecting technology volunteers and solutions with high impact non-profit organizations. We guide volunteers through four to six weeks of preparation based in human-centered design principles, followed by four weeks of in-country immersive service learning, leveraging their skills and passions to make a difference in education. Over the past five years, we have implemented 38 projects in 12 countries with over 300 volunteers from 28 leading tech companies, benefitting nearly 70,000 students and teachers.
 

INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION

Team4Tech (http://www.team4tech.org/) is partnering with Middlebury College to develop its first undergraduate volunteer cohort in Costa Rica that will work with a community on a project. Team4Tech is also partnering with TabLab, a US-based non-profit organization that works to advance teaching and learning in rural schools via teacher training, mobile technology and personalized learning.

In the rural rainforest region of Chilamate, TabLab is providing technology (iPads and educational software) and training to teachers from eight schools, reaching 1,000 students. This area of Costa Rica primarily serves students of families working in pineapple and banana plantations, many of them Nicaraguan immigrants. 

In summer 2018, participating teachers in the eight partner schools will be completing the second year of online professional development (PD) with TabLab. As part of the project implementation, TabLab has asked that Team4Tech volunteers develop and facilitate teacher training workshops to reinforce skills learned during the first two years of PD. Volunteers will prepare for this workshop by observing local classrooms, and they will support the teachers after the workshop as they practice the new skills with their students. After the workshops, the Middlebury volunteers will support the teachers at their schools as they practice the new skills with their students. They will work with the teachers on their final presentations – to demonstrate whether there was an increase in student engagement practices, a higher comfort level with iPads, and an ability to plan lessons based on pedagogical best practices (e.g., blended learning and project based learning).

Volunteers will be immersed in the local culture and environment throughout their stay at the Chilamate Rainforest Eco-Retreat. The Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat (http://www.chilamaterainforest.com/sustainability/) is a family-run rainforest conservation and sustainable tourism project which is also Rainforest Alliance verified.

 Project Details

Working in pairs or small groups, volunteers will be asked to contribute to the following project areas on the ground:

1. Technology Deployment: Each volunteer will be immersed in a local school to install and train teachers on hardware and software for their classroom.
2. Practical Application: Volunteers will help teachers practice using the technology in a classroom setting. This could include designing lessons, supporting teachers in delivering lessons, and assisting students.
3. Impact Assessment: Volunteers will design and implement a mini research study to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology intervention.
4. Community Outreach: Volunteers will help design and deliver weekend workshops with community members, parents, and students on relevant technology topics such as how to use the applications taught in school, how to use social media for business, or how to support students’ digital learning.

 Volunteer Skills & Experience

Must have:

• Interest or experience designing and/or conducting technical training, with adults or youth
• Interest in working with and training teachers, with some secondary work with youth learners
• Interest or experience working in low resource contexts, particularly schools
• Interest in engaging with technology, but you need not have taken any formal computer classes

 Nice to have:

• Proficiency in Spanish (please note on your resume your Spanish-language proficiency as: Low, Medium, High)
• Familiarity with project-based learning (PBL) techniques and best practices

 Project Timeline

• July 2018 – Virtual training
• August 1, 2018 – Arrive in Costa Rica
• August 2-3, 2018 – In-Country Orientation
• August 4-28, 2018 – Deliver teacher training workshops, provide in-classroom support
• August 29, 2018 – Program wrap-up
• August 30, 2018 – Depart Costa Rica

 APPLICATION DETAILS -- HOW TO APPLY

A resume and application cover letter is required to "Apply" through Handshake. Besides the volunteer skills & experience that Team4Tech is looking for, they are also requiring that Middlebury College undergraduates address these 4 prompts in their application cover letter-please answer each question individually (cover letter may be longer than one page.):

1. Why are you interested in volunteering for the Team4Tech project in Costa Rica?
   
2. Can you describe your experience/skill set in any of these areas: a) setting up IT equipment, troubleshooting, maintenance; b) providing training, creating engaging workshops; and/or c) encouraging 21st century learning (collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication)? (You can refer to the project description for more details.)
3. What are some areas you want to develop personally and professionally? How would this program help you grow in those areas?
4. Describe any volunteer or service work, including specific examples of where you have made an impact and why.