From June until August, six students from Lehigh University in the American state of Pennsylvania will participate in a study abroad visit to the Czech Republic. The students will be hosted by Inclusio, a nonprofit group that focuses on support for the inclusion and integration of minorities in the Czech Republic.
The academic supervisor of the visit is Christine Novak, clinical
professor of school psychology with whom Inclusio has long collaborated. The students will attend a demanding, rich program focused on understanding the main causes of social exclusion in the Czech Republic and creating an online platform (a hub) to serve for the international exchange of experiences and information about good practices in the area of inclusion.
The six-week gathering will be a first step leading toward the establishment of connections between professionals, students, and others interested in the area of minority integration in the Czech Republic. It is intended to motivate change and innovative approaches inspired by the experiences of students in working for the nonprofit sector in the USA and abroad.
Emphasis will be primarily be placed on international collaboration, the sharing of ideas, and networking. The students will be involved in direct support for nonprofit sector development in the Czech Republic by helping to design several projects with partnering nonprofits such as ROMEA and Slovo 21.
The volunteer involvement of college students in Prague will be a priceless aid to the project, as they will spend their free time helping the students from America as their contacts, their guides to Czech culture, and as organizers. In addition to making new friends, the visit will involve hours of conversation in English and will develop the students’ organizational skills.
The project is being supported by the American Center Prague and the United Nations Information Center in Prague, where the students will engage in thematic meetings and workshops. For more about study abroad through Lehigh, click here; for more about Inclusio, o.p.s., click here or visit their Facebook page.
The internship of the students is supported and financed by the Lehigh University.
