BCC Summer Internship Program 2016

The amazing team ready to present their social issue art bikes (Week 7) to the community!

Overview

The Bicycles Create Change Summer Program is an eight-week collaborative learning internship running from January 4th to February 27th, 2016. Four dedicated and highly skilled international students from Griffith University were selected for this program, which focuses on developing three main areas: Professional Skills, Educational Skills and Personal Skills.

This program removes the constant daily supervision aspect and ‘student’ mentality of traditional internships, to instead put the ownership, reliability and authority firmly into the hands of each participant, who ultimately self-manages their own workload so that self-initiative and responsibility are central competencies. Also, this program is specifically designed to capitalise and extend each participants professional strengths and to provide tailored experiences that provide exposure to advance individual and unique competencies that are not commonly experienced in other internships.

To help manage and derive new learnings and skills from these experiences, collaborative learning and critical reflection are fundamental aspects of reviewing work, assessing progress and providing quality feedback. The program has a primary facilitator (Nina Ginsberg), and each participant was also assigned an independent expert industry mentor for the duration of the program.

This program has built into it a sound pedagogical approach which encourages critical thinking, problem-solving and highlighting the importance of time management, communication and prioritisation of tasks.

Over the course of the eight weeks, the participants undertook a series of challenging business and workplace related weekly tasks as well as conducting professional development workshops, initiating their own Individual Project and creating an art bike project that draws attention to a social issue they have been researching.

It is a stimulating, creative, integrated and purposeful program that progresses personal confidence, professional expertise and adds critical workplace value and insights for all those involved.

Bicycles Create Change Internship. Initial internship framework that the group then co-designed and modify to suit each person’s individual needs.

2016 Summer Program Participants

JULIET

I am Beula Juliet Alfred (Juliet), born and brought up in a little town called Podanur in Tamil Nadu, India. My first language is Tamil and I like to read Tamil literature. I am an Educational Professional and have 18 years valuable experience in the teaching industry. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Geography) and completed a Masters of Education in India.

General school issues diverted me into Special Children and I graduated from Special Education at La Trobe University, Australia. My passion is teaching Autistic children and underprivileged students in society.

My ultimate goal is to research and create “Transformation in Autism with Assistive Technology” to make a difference for the Autistic Society. My hobby is jewellery making and cooking.

You can contact me on: Julietalfred1974@yahoo.com.au

Juliet and her social Issue art bike about women’s rights

MAURICIO

My name is Mauricio Gonzalez. I am from Colombia and I am 27 years old. Since I was a child, I have been passionate about business. This passion is a great heritage that my grandfather left me before he died. Today, after studying international business and exploring the world of marketing, I am strongly convinced of the high potential that the advent of information technologies has brought to the evolution of humankind. I can see how new business models, international relations and political power are all set by the rules of information.

Therefore, I am an international student with a business background, who came to Australia looking forward to taking advantage of the benefits of the English language as a lingua franca in today´s globalized world. Also, looking for the knowledge and specialized skills that a Master of Information Technologies at a prestigious University such as Griffith will help me to contribute positively to society.

I see information as a key strategy for transparency, democracy, freedom, education and development.

Mauricio and his social Issue art bike about consumerism

SACHIE

My name is Sachie. I’m an international student from Japan and am studying Politics and Humanity at Griffith University. Back home, my major is International Liberal Arts, so I l am learning an overview of general subjects such as Business, Politics, History, etc. Aside from studying and contributing to the Bicycles Create Change Progam, I’m a music lover and belong to the Queensland Wind and Brass where I play percussion.

Additionally, I’m raising money using a crowdfunding platform for my independent project which is an “Unsung Local Hero Award”, so if you are interested, please visit the website.

Through the university study, I aim to be an effective worker who can work collaboratively with people from different countries and cultures and a problem-solver who sees problems from many perspectives. My current dream jobs are an Interpreter or a Diplomat, which contribute to bridge a gap between other countries and Japan.

Sachie and her social Issue art bike about domestic violence

GABRIEL

I am Gabriel Besong Etchu, an International student from the Republic of Cameroon (Central Africa) and I am undertaking a Master Degree in Social Work at Griffith University. Before this study, l completed a Bachelor Degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Political Science from the University of Yaounde, Cameroon. I am very passionate about Global Politics and the social welfare of people around the world, especially during this era of globalisation. Things in our contemporary world have fallen apart and the centre can no longer hold, due to dictatorial regimes notably in Sub-Saharan Africa, wars, regional conflicts, natural disasters and civil wars – coupled with the adverse effects of capitalism. Triggered by the odd consequences of the aforementioned situations, l became interested in issues relating to social justice, social inclusion and the betterment of the oppressed and underprivileged people in our societies.

It is no wonder l became interested in bicycles, given their economic and social significance in poverty alleviation in my country. Thanks to bicycles, young girls can now attend distance schools and women can go to farms and markets more easily. Hence, bicycles are objects that foster the empowerment and welfare of girls and women in my community.

My greatest aspiration is to become an active Social Worker of high reputation at the level of prestigious International Organisations in order to make the world “a better place” (Michael Jackson). I also admire the “Aussie” way of life and culture when it comes to social and academic interactions.