Hi my Name is Brooke and I am a political science student in my last year of school interning for UN Habitat working on ways to put youth at the forefront of leadership and battling COVID-19 as well as creating more safe and sustainable cities. while completing my internship with UN Habitat I have had the opportunity to analyze and use raw data, while also contributing in report writing, concept and policy notes.
Hello! My name is Natasha and I am in my third year of the Bachelor of Arts program majoring in Geography with a concentration in Urban Planning. I have had the privilege of interning with Ardhi University and City Lab virtually in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. My internship has focused specifically on food security and child friendly planning initiatives and how Covid-19 has impacted these. The virtual aspect of the internship has presented its unique challenges where, navigating time zones, technology, and finding creative ways to collaborate are the norm. Although I would have enjoyed to physically be in Tanzania working with our partners, the opportunities presented to grow and learn in spite of distance has proven to be very valuable. I have had the opportunity to work on a pilot project and modules that advocate for the Right to Play and promotes child friendly initiatives and food security. This internship has also challenged me to expand my skills working with new digital platforms, writing concept notes, analyzing data and refining my research skills all while being exposed to other planning projects going on in Dar es Salaam. I am incredibly thankful to our partners at Ardhi University and Dr. Cherie Enns for the opportunity!
Hi everyone, my name is Ogechi Ukonu. I am a Nigerian who is currently in the 4th year of studying Global Development and Communication at the University of the Fraser Valley. For my internship, I’m working with the United Nations under UN habitat. So far we have worked on survey projects as well as some research that revolved around the Covid impacts on youths. While that is on the side, I am an entrepreneur who is very business oriented. I love to source as well as create content relating to clothes and accessories. My long-term goal is to work with the UN as a researcher and writer or A Non – Profit Organization that deals with kids. At the end of my Intern experience, I hope to expand my network as well as get proper experience of what working with the UN feels like. Looking forward to working more.
Taelyr is in his final semester of his Bachelor of Arts in Global Development Studies program. He is also pursuing a graduate certificate in Food Security and Urban Agriculture at Ryerson University. He is currently working for Archway Community Services as a Food Justice Coordinator. His passions for social change, cooking and the environment have led him to his dream career; fighting for the right to food. He hopes to help create a more activated, sustainable and equitable food system that enables everyone to have access to healthy and affordable foods.
I had an internship last summer with the Center for International Forestry Research in their Resource Mobilization and Partnerships department, which is located in Nairobi, Kenya. I got to work with a fellow GDS student Abbey Lin as well, which was great! This internship was a one of a kind experience as it was done completely virtual. This meant waking up at 4am for a conference or having work meetings at midnight, due to the time differences. An advantage to having a virtual internship was that I was able to work with scientists in Kyrgyzstan, South East Asia, and Nairobi. I learned so much about the global donor landscape for development funding, I learned all about how COVID-19 was impacting the global market and all the flaws it was highlighting within our political and economic systems. Though I didn’t get to travel to Nairobi like I was supposed to, I still had a very fun and rewarding international internship! Thank you to Rubina M. Haroon with CIFOR and Dr. Cherie Enns, for the incredible opportunity!
Hello Everyone! My name is Abbey and I’m a fourth year Global Development Studies student. I have a craving for new experiences, and I had the amazing and unique opportunity to work virtually with the Center of International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in the summer of 2020. I am so grateful that I was allowed this opportunity especially during the troubling time of COVID-19. I worked with another fellow UFV student, Taelyr, in writing country profile reports and conducting donor intelligence. We also attended a few webinars along with the Global Landscape Forum Digital Conference. I learned a lot about how COVID-19 has impacted environmental and sustainable development right as it was all happening. Even if it wasn’t in person, I could say that I truly experienced what it is like to work in a pandemic situation and learn about the effects of COVID-19 in this field and industry. It was a very much relevant experience where I got to see exactly the global impacts of COVID-19 and how important research and funding is to a sustainable future.
About the Shastri Internship
Chandigarh is working towards developing a city that is more livable and inclusive for children and youth. While the city of Chandigarh is considered a green city, the planners and urban developers neglected to address the needs and preferences of the children who play and live within the city. The city of Chandigarh requires more designated outdoor play spaces, including playground structures that promote play that are welcoming to children and safely accessible.
Through the Shastri Grant and a connection to the University of the Fraser Valley, researchers at the Punjab University in India are hoping to learn from Canada’s experience and commitment to developing child-friendly cities. Canadian models and policies for child friendly cities could serve as a useful model for Indian cities who wish to create more child friendly cities and communities. Through connections and the reciprocity of ideas and understandings, India can also provide several cross-cultural insights for strengthening the Canadian initiatives for child friendly cities.
Over the course of our internship and through the connections we have developed during this process, we (Casandra Hincks, Missy Caswell, and Stephanie Larson) have successfully been able to contribute useful literature to the project; assist with the development of research for Chandigarh, and lastly to develop a pilot project in global connections through universal curriculum modules. For more information regarding this pilot project and to learn more about our internship please visit our blog. https://ufvinternship2021.opened.ca/module-4/.
Hi my names Stephanie and I am just one of three interns on this project. I am currently in my forth year of my Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Geography and minor in English. The hope is to enter the teaching program at Simon Fraser University or The University of the Fraser Valley for 2022. I plan to teach grade 3 and once I am settled in a position I want to pursue my Masters of Geography or Education.
In my spare time (when I actually have some) you can find me playing soccer, reading and getting some fresh air hiking.
It has been quite interesting finishing my degree remotely, as I never expected to or wanted to take an online class. Working remotely on this project has definitely thrown some curve balls in the mix, but if I can adapt to this then hopefully teaching a room full of kids will be easy.
Hi my name is Missy. I am one of the students who is taking part in this unique internship experience. I am in the third year of my Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History and a minor in Geography and plan to enroll in the Teacher Education Program in 2023.
I am a busy mom of two elementary school boys and when I’m not working remotely on completing my studies, I’m usually out on an adventure exploring trails, reading a book or travelling the world.
This year has been full of changes and has drawn attention to the need to redesign spaces. It has brought up opportunities to dig deeper into the socioeconomics of our communities and find ways to make our cities more inclusive, especially for children. I am excited to be a part of this internship and look forward to collaborating with the Punjab University on this unique project.
Hello! My name is Casandra, and I am the third intern participating in this internship. I am currently a fourth year Bachelor of Integrated Studies Student completing a double minor in Sociology and History. I am also a wife and mother to three children. I have always found myself drawn to the profession of teaching. My passion to become an educator stems from my interest in lifelong learning and my personal beliefs about giving back to community.
Teachers, curriculum, and student voices play a key role in helping us educate and empower the future generations of our communities. When we acknowledge children as active citizens and implement their perspectives and views on society and development, we stand a greater chance in challenging issues that facilitate inequality and exclusivity. By ensuring our cities and communities represent all citizens, big and small, we promote equality and inclusivity at both the community level and the global level. This internship will provide us (the three interns) with opportunities to develop curriculum that promotes both child advocacy practices and inclusive urbanization in the cities of Chandigarh and Abbotsford. I am so excited about the opportunities this Internship will offer to me and my fellow intern partners, both on our individual educational journeys and in our future careers as educators.
