Real-world learning and opportunities to contribute. Past Review
By A student (International Relations and Affairs., Brigham Young University) - abroad from 04/23/2012 to 07/23/2012 with
Brigham Young University: Multi-Region - Project Evaluation and Assessment Team - PEAT Internship
The opportunity to work as a PEAT intern has provided me with the kind of connections to real world development that will allow me to work in the field of international development--serving others--throughout my life. As a PEAT intern I evaluated CHOICE Humanitarian in Mexico. CHOICE Mexico works in rural villages surrounding Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico in several capacities (including constructing dry latrines, cisterns, filters, aiding community projects such as building schools and churches, running an animal loan program, establishing goat cheese factories and internet cafes, and teaching non-formal education classes.) My evaluation involved analyzing the current state of education in the rural villages (dropout rates, access, quality, etc.) and determining the appropriate role that CHOICE can, or does, play in improving the state of education for rural villagers. This also included an in-depth evaluation of CHOICE's past non-formal education classes and an assessment of future non-formal education classes CHOICE could offer in the communities. Furthermore, while in Mexico, CHOICE asked our team to perform an evaluation of a social venture solar energy project that had recently been proposed by a solar company wishing to partner with CHOICE. We were able to adapt our studies to better evaluate the solar project. I was still able to study rural education and will now be able to provide CHOICE with mitigation strategies for the solar project that involve non-formal education. I recommend PEAT to any student looking for an opportunity to truly apply what they learn in the classroom. I could not ask for a better way to learn. The things I have learned in the past now have greater meaning and I look forward to the things I will continue to learn because I now understand better the context in which development takes place. I am so grateful I learned about PEAT and that I invested my time and studies in research that not only taught me a great deal about the world of development, but allowed me to participate in and contribute to it as well.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I couldn't ask for a better, on the ground, hands-on learning experience. I was able to not only learn about international development, but also contribute to it. It was very demanding, very rewarding, and an incredible experience overall. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We could have had better communication at times with the director of the humanitarian agency, but we were still able to function and get things done. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Lovely. |
| * Food: |
I finally ate real Mexican food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Unless actually being a Mexican is what qualifies for five stars, I couldn't have felt more integrated into the local culture than I did while in Mexico. We lived with, ate with, talked with, shared experiences with, and conducted interviews with hundreds of villagers. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
We were informed early on what vaccinations we needed, but I do not recall what they were because I had already received the ones I needed. I got parasites while in the villages and one of the workers from the humanitarian agency was able to provide the proper medication to get rid of it and I recovered quickly. |
| * Safety: |
There was a robbery and kidnapping in the city close to the time we arrived in Irapuato, Mexico, but it was a rare occurrence for this city and many of the residents informed us that things like that rarely happened. Other than that first event the host city was calm, beautiful, and will most likely be so for future students. Also, most of our time was spent in the villages where there was never ever a safety threat of any kind. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
I spent approximately $500 while there. Housing was free and food costs were low (especially since villagers often fed us). Most expenses were in copying our surveys, transportation, and buying water. I also spent about $50-$75 on souvenirs. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $15 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We did not learn the language while there. It was a requirement to be able to speak the language before being able to go. We used our language skills every single day because we were living with and constantly surrounded by Spanish speakers. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 321 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Avoid speaking in English at all costs. The more you speak the language of whatever country you're visiting, the better you will get. Even for fluent speakers, if they don't speak it all the time they can get rusty. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How to write good surveys. |
