Summer Service Internship 2019: Bridging Learning and Development

Over 65 students undergoing Diploma Programme at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad participated in the summer service internship programme held between 10 June and 5 July 2019. Service internship which is typically open to grade 11 students is a 4-week intensive yet unique programme organized during summer breaks, and involves contributing towards development of communities spanning across diverse geographic, social, economic and ethical boundaries of India through 24 partner organisations.

Prior to embarking on their internship journey, students were oriented through a 7-day workshop organized by the Academy’s placement partner - Rubarooh  and Aga Khan Development Network at Rural Development in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh from 1^st to 7^th June 2019.  Students were then placed within a network of 24 partner organisations that are mainly Not-for-profit and NGOs, working towards key developmental areas such as rural development, women and child empowerment, agriculture and nutrition. As a matter of fact, many of these organisations are agencies belonging to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) that are spread across rural and urban locaities of the country. Students who are placed at these organisations are carefully selected through a rigorous internal selection process.

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) which forms an integral component of the IB Diploma Program, offers students an opportunity to explore learnings through experiences and collaborations. Hence, the Academy's service internship not only caters to students’ academic needs but also makes them independent and sensitive towards life outside campus. One student, Joy Panjwani of grade 11, describes his experience as “Internship was an opportunity to prepare ourselves for any forthcoming situations in life. It has especially helped us to experience the rural way of living, which is simply incredible!” 

Students are exposed to social issues by striding them away from their comfort zones and are empowered to critical thinking, team building and leadership abilities, thereby preparing them to be home-grown leaders. For instance, four DP1 students- Ananya Mor, Alisha Velani, Rida Virani and Rahul Bopanna, who were interning at Suraiya’s Traditional Weavers and Crafts, learnt many valuable lessons while observing and interacting with stakeholders and workers. “We did not only just learn about the traditional craft of weaving but this experience also helped us in enhancing our marketing skills.“

liyan Gowlani of grade 11, commented by stating, “It (internship) gave me a chance to explore my comfort zones. The whole experience was more of a self-discovery where I learnt from observing my surroundings, adapting to simple ways of living and also by working on creative ways of tackling everyday challenges.”

In the words of Academies’ founder His Highness the Aga Khan, “As the young men and women from this Aga Khan Academy, and over time from its sister schools, grow and assume leadership in their societies, it is my hope that it will be members of this new generation who, driven by their own wide knowledge and inspiration, will change their societies; that they will gradually replace many of the external forces that appear, and sometimes seek, to control our destinies. These young men and women, I am sure, will become leaders in the governments and the institutions of civil society in their own countries, in international organisations and in all those institutions, academic, economic and artistic that create positive change in our world.”

Resonating the views of His Highness, service-based internship is unique in terms of identifying and nurturing home-grown leaders by giving students an opportunity to work on real-life scenarios, appreciating their surroundings and making them aware of complex social and economic challenges faced by their communities, which would in the long run come to form an essential part of their lives.