Message-ID: <43951205213134/0006513571PK4EM@MCIMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 16:31:00 EST From: Reap International <mailto:0006513571@MCIMAIL.COM> Subject: internship announcement To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
REAP International is in the process of trying to find five quality interns, ages 17-21, for our 1995-1996 Samantha Smith Exchange Program. Through this program, Russian and American youth will participate in exchanges of not less than three months of duration, focusing on a theme or issue of bilateral interest. We have already selected the projects that the Americans will be working on in Russia and now need to find candidates to fill the positions. The projects are as follows:1. Modern Dairy Processing and Farm Management at the Irkutsk State Farm School 2. Khomotova School Agricultural Education Program 3. Ecomonitoring Project 4. Fish Farming and Training 5. Kadunskaya School Agricultural Education Program
The duration of the internships will be between 3-6 months, and the cost to each individual will be $1050. The internships are as follows:
1. Modern Dairy Processing and Farm Management Program Director: Nickolai Prokopiev (director of State College agricultural school and state farm) and Irkutsk State Farm School
Description: The state farm produces 25% of all of the vegetables and milk for Irkutsk, which has a population of 800,000. It owns 600,00 hectares of land and 700 milking cows. The farm recently received a brand new, million dollar state of the art milk and cheese processing center from Spain to make butter, cheese, and to pasteurize milk. The program director, Nickolai Prokopiev, wants to get involved with making potato chips and packaging. Currently, Nikolai is privatizing the state farm and would like the intern to aid in this process. The intern will work with private farmers and with State Farm staff and State Farm School personnel.
American Intern Qualifications and Requests: There is no preference as to male or female. The intern should be interested in agriculture and ecology, and be familiar with modern dairy techniques. He/she should have experience running either dairy or vegetable processing. This individual should also be interested in education, as he/she will be expected to come up with ideas about classes to integrate the farm with school. Nikolai would like the intern to have either an FFA or a 4-H background, as he is interested in youth organizations.
Living Arrangements: Nickolai would like this individual to stay for six months. During this time, he/she will either live at Nickolai's apartment in an urban setting and travel to the state farm every day, or live at the farm. Whereas the apartment has many conveniences, the farm does not. This individual should therefore be prepared to live under Russian conditions. A knowledge of Russian is not necessary.
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2. Khomotova School Agricultural Education Program Project Director: Tamara Alexandrova Rikolova and the staff of Khomotova School
Description: The Khomotova School relies on a traditional agricultural curriculum which is not adequate for the present. The school has its own farm, but does not use it efficiently and is therefore not making money off of it. Khomotova is presently working to establish a full, vocationally oriented curriculum which covers all aspects of farming, including business. The school would like to establish a good agriculturally-oriented youth program, such as FFA, and would like to increase production on their farm.
American Internship Qualifications and Requests: The intern should come from a rural area, have some knowledge of agricultural education and youth programs, possibly with the idea of becoming a teacher. He/she should also know something about ecology and environmental education. Ideally, this individual should be and FFA officer who is thinking of becoming a Voc-Ag instructor and who may have a background in sustainable agriculture.
Living Arrangements: Tamara would like this individual to arrive any time after November. He/she should be prepared to live under Russian conditions, such as using outdoor toilets and taking showers with the aid of buckets. There are not a lot of English speakers in the area and this individual should therefore possess some knowledge of Russian.
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3. Ecomonitoring Project Project Director: Tatyana Drazdova
Description: The project director, Tatyana Drazdova, is the head of the EPA in Dmitrov. She has worked with hospitals to put together epidemiological information in order to link exposure to farm chemicals to various illnesses. She has had difficulty getting official information and therefore has relied mainly upon conversations with farmers and doctors, as well as her own observations. In the area, there are two hazardous landfills which contain waste from Moscow. Drazdova would like to map the seepage from this landfill at both ground level and under water. She would like the intern to work in both of the aforementioned areas. He/she will take readings from the landfills, as well as work with her to interview farmers in order to get an idea about each individual's exposure to pesticides.
American Internship Qualifications and Requests: There is no preference as to male or female, but the individual should be at the upper limits of the age allowance. The intern should have an interest or knowledge of surface water problems connected with rural areas and agriculture. He/she should know something about pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminants which are associated with water supplies. This individual should also be interested in soil conservation and soil problems. Drazdova would like the intern to do the technical aspects of the project, and it would therefore be desirable for the intern to have an epidemiological background and to be able to bring with them records of past studies and evidence.
Living Arrangements: The intern will live with Drazdova and her 16-year-old son. She has a good sense of humor and will be a wonderful host. Drazdova speaks a little English, and obtaining a translator will not be a problem. However, it is best that the intern be a Russian speaker, or at least have the capability to learn Russian.
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4. Fish Farming and Training: Project Director: Yuri Kuklev
Description: The Dmitrov Fish College focuses primarily on aquaculture, and is an alternative to high school. The 700 students, 2/3 of whom are women, begin at age 16 and can get their high school diploma as well as their associate's degree. There are two main divisions at this school -- the business aspects, such as book keeping and accounting, and the technique area, such as how to set up a fish farm and properly breed the fish. The All Russian Federation Fish Institute is next door to the Fish College. This prestigious institute has introduced sturgeon, cat fish, and Chinese crawfish into the Volga region. It has an excellent reputation for its breeding skills and its ability to extract eggs without killing the fish. Aquaculture is extremely contaminating, and the institute has developed a recycling system in which 98% of the water recycled is able to be used at the commercial level. The institute would like to train people to commercially develop the system, and is looking for an intern to work in this area. He/she may be involved in the actual planning and development of the facility, and also the training program to be offered to students and adults. The Russians would also like the intern to help them in introducing American fish, such as trout, into the Dmitrov region.
American Intern Qualifications and Requests: The intern should have a knowledge of aquaculture, either in the areas of education or commercial production. It is desirable that the candidate have some knowledge of alternative energy sources, including wind generation.
Living Arrangements: Kuklev is able to receive the intern at any time, but the critical time is early spring (April) through the end of summer. The project director speaks English and it is therefore not necessary that the intern speak Russian.
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5. Kadunskaya School and Model Dairy Farm Assistance (Buryatia) Program Director: Nina Baldonova of Kadunskaya School
Description: The school program involves a rural youth program, a full agricultural education program, and adult education to farmers and other local businesses. Kadunskaya's director, Nina Baldonova, is extremely innovative. She is in the process of creating a Center for Rural Youth to teach children how to be diverse in their farming, have different types of on-farm occupations, and be sustainable. The Center will bring urban and rural youth together this summer by having children from Ulan-Ude travel to a camp on the edge of the village in order to work on gardens and develop a greenhouse. She hopes that this organization will become a model and spread throughout the Republic. She is currently working with 4-H and will bring her plan to the government in September. Nina is also involved in adult education. She conducts workshops and talks to schools for adult farmers. Nina would like this intern to help her to create an interesting, vocationally organized curriculum for a rural school.
American Intern Qualifications and Requests: The intern should come from a rural background which includes conditions similar to Buryatia's dry and arid climate, i.e. Nebraska, Montana, Colorado, or the Dakotas. He/she should also have a dairy background in order to assist the American farm manager.
Living Arrangements: The intern will live with the vice principal, who does not speak English. The nephew of the school director, as well as a couple of the students at the school speak English, but it will be difficult to get a translator. Therefore, it is desirable that this individual either speak Russian or have the capability to learn Russian. He/she should be prepared to live under Russian conditions, such as using outdoor toilets and taking showers with the aid of buckets.
For information on how to apply for these internships, please contact Heather Sheldon, REAP International's Exchange Program Coordinator, or Bill Mueller, REAP International's Director, at: (ph): (319)366-4230 (fax): (319)366-2209 (email): mailto:0006513571@mcimail.com