Outreach360

How did this experience influence your perspective on the community in which you worked? How did this work illuminate the role that active service ought to play in the life and work of a global citizen?

This summer I was presented with the opportunity to change my life without even realizing it. My remote internship experience through Outreach360 was so powerful that I know I need to share my perspective with anyone who is exploring this service opportunity for themselves.

This was my first direct experience with Outreach360. I was supposed to work with Outreach360 in the Dominican Republic last year but unfortunately due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that trip had to be canceled. I heard about this remote internship program through an email from Outreach360 asking for those who were able to dedicate their time to the program to consider registering as a summer volunteer. I knew this wouldn’t be the typical in-country experience, but I felt motivated to be a part of a pilot program that could change the face of volunteering (maybe forever!)

Throughout the experience, it became so clear to me that Outreach360 volunteers had a significant impact on the students’ education, even though the program was completely virtual. This was visible through the excitement students expressed when joining the “classroom” and the determination to learn and understand new concepts. One of the most amazing moments I experienced was having some of the students so eager to share their knowledge that they explained concepts to their peers as well.

Through working with Outreach360 students virtually, I gained so much more confidence in my teaching abilities and harnessed my creativity by making lessons for every other class. I feel that as an individual I am walking away from this summer with a newfound look on education and am so blessed that these students were able to renew that passion for me.

The learning component of this internship was extremely valuable and beneficial as well. We were privileged to be able to study Spanish, take part in cultural explorations of Nicaragua and Jinotega, and complete a Leadership and Social Change course. These experiences allowed me to grow in my personal values and morals, as well as broaden my horizons and truly understand what it means to be “a citizen of the world”. Through these classes, I was able to recognize that although as one person I may not be able to change the whole world, I could help to change the world for another person, and that is something I hold near and dear to my heart.

Overall, this four-week internship provided a space where I was able to grow as a person, and I was able to positively impact the lives of the students I worked with. This internship is an opportunity I would not pass up in the future and will always be a time I remember so fondly as it helped me chart my path to the future.