International Education Week Connects InteRDom with Hundreds of Students at the University of Rhode Island

InteRDom representatives just finished an exciting few days celebrating International Education Week with the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, by participating in a handful of the numerous events planned on campus from November 17 – 21, 2014 designed to increase students’ awareness of and participation in international study, internship, work and volunteer programs.

On Tuesday, November 18, InteRDom participated in Going
Global: Finding an International Program that is Right for You, which was an informal discussion with URI College of Nursing faculty and alumni sharing their international experiences, hosted by the URI College of Nursing. The event attracted more than 40 students who were interested in learning about the two-week January term nursing program offered through URI and hosted by InteRDom in the Dominican Republic. Students also had the opportunity to learn about other countries where
faculty have traveled and to provide recommendations as to where future programs may be held, all while enjoying pizza and other refreshments provided by the College of Nursing.

On Thursday, InteRDom participated in the URI Fall Internship and Job Fair, along with 50 other organizations recruiting top talent. The most popular majors
represented included engineering, public health and psychology. InteRDom received a lot of interest and made many connections with Dominican diaspora students who attend URI. InteRDom Program Manager Mandy Sciacchitano also participated as a panelist in the discussion titled Work, Internship and Volunteer Abroad, hosted by the URI International Center and The Center for Career and Experiential Education. More than 150 students attended the panel, a large number of
which representing the Textiles, Design and Marketing major.  They asked thoughtful questions about how to fit international experiences into their curricular schedules, how to choose the program that is right for them and strategies for adapting to a new culture abroad.  Other panelists included: Kerry Branon of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Kathryn Fidler from the Peace Corps, John Hylton of AIFS Study Abroad, John Yocum of the Education Abroad Network (TEAN) and
current URI student Mikayla Reid, who performed an internship abroad last spring.

International Education Week (IEW) is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education aimed at celebrating the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.  It provides and promotes programs that prepare Americans for a global environment, and universities and colleges across the nation have responded to the call by organizing
activities and events on their campuses.

InteRDom, an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), is the premier internship, research and academic study program in the Dominican Republic. It offers international students the opportunity to research
important topics at the forefront of the United Nations agenda, obtain professional experience by interning with Dominican organizations and businesses related to their fields of study and/or earn academic credits by taking courses and seminars at a local university.