Overall, the objective of the intern program is to foster positive connections between the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus and rural communities. Often the relationship between university and community has been one-sided, with the former using the latter as a source of research data. Stereotypically, the educational institution takes from communities without giving anything back. The Rural Capacity Intern Program aims to counteract the negative connotations of university/community partnerships through a critically reflective process of action and reflection. As interns, recent graduates and continuing Augustana students will spend the summer living in rural Albertan communities and working in partnership with local initiatives or organizations.
While the rest of my colleagues are working in a specific geographic location, I will be traveling between their various communities, creating podcasts about the internship program- hence the title of this blog. My task fits nicely within an area of personal interest. I am currently considering the potential of using video as a medium for community development and sustainability. This summer, my goals for the internship are to:
1. Learn about “Participatory Video”, and hopefully have the chance to work on this kind of project.
(see http://insightshare.org/resources/pv-handbook for examples)
2. Get a greater appreciation and understanding of an area of the world that I have lived in my whole life.
3. Begin to think about some of the complex issues facing rural Alberta and how these issues apply to a broader global context.
4. Reflect on what it is that I want to do with my B.A. in Global and Development Studies
5. And, by the end of the summer, have a really awesome road trip playlist in order to facilitate all the car dancing that will be necessary as part of my job.
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