Summer here we come! We are thrilled to announce the launch of two new Emzingo initiatives: the Global Impact Fellowship and the Global Impact Semester Abroad.
About the Global Impact Fellowship (South Africa)
This May, we successfully kicked off the inaugural class of our new undergrad program in South Africa. The Global Impact Fellowship (GIF) is a leadership program that offers purpose-driven undergraduate students an international, social impact internship with an NGO or Social Enterprise in South Africa. This 8-week program combines leadership training, with personal coaching and mentoring, and team-led social impact projects.
We’ve joined forces with leading universities to offer GIF. The first cohort, which set foot in Johannesburg on May 25, includes 20 students from institutions including Princeton University, University of Notre Dame, McGill University, University of Virginia, Arizona State University, University of New Mexico, and Queens University. The GIF follows in the steps of its ‘big brother’, our graduate NexGen Fellowship Program, which now boasts more than 170 alumni.
During the program, students work in small teams of twos and threes to assist our South African field partners (NGOs and Social Enterprises.) Fellows will complete a high-level strategy, research, or implementation project to help organizations achieve their objectives more effectively.
Additionally, GIF Fellows will attend one to two workshops a week that expose them to different and relevant industries, including: leading development consulting firms, impact investment hubs, micro-finance institutions, social enterprises, NGOS, and international bodies. During these workshops, Fellows will discuss the work they do and receive professional recommendations on how to enter/apply for those industries and markets.
About the Global Impact Semester Abroad (Peru)
Remember we said two initiatives? Here’s the second one. This week, during the NAFSA Conference in Boston, we had the ‘unofficial’ launch of our Global Impact Semester Abroad (GISA), a study abroad option like no other!
GISA is an intense, purpose-driven program that offers classes in international relations, politics, and business as well as a social impact internship with a local NGO or social enterprise in Peru. Students learn about impact investing, microfinance, and social entrepreneurship during a full semester abroad in Peru and put their knowledge directly into practice while working for a social impact organization.
With this program, students will attend workshops and seminars on impact investing, social entrepreneurship, microfinance, and sustainability, among other topics. They will have a local business professional as a mentor who will provide extra support with the social impact internship. Students will also attend monthly group coaching sessions with a life and career coach and participate in group learning sessions to build leadership skills through Emzingo’s unique approach.
Furthermore, GISA will offer between 12 and 15 credits per semester, depending on course intake, and optional internship credit determined by the partner universities.
Interested in joining one of our programs? Any comments, questions or great ideas? Get in touch! We would love to hear from you!