Fall 2008

New Delhi, India

Fellow Dmitry Kogan, arrived in New Delhi late June through the Education Abroad Program (EAP) in pursuit of a suitable infoactivism internship. After careful research and an intensive Hindi language program, Dmitry found Butterflies, an NGO whose aim is to empower street children with the skills and knowledge to protect their rights and develop themselves as respected, productive citizens.

Dmitry helped bring ICT to Butterflies by teaching these children basic computer and work skills, quite a feat with children who have little or no experience with computers, and even more so with such a communication barrier. “Without a doubt this has been a long hard road,” Kogan said, “I conduct all the lessons in Hindi. However, with each day my Hindi improves and so does my relationship with the kids.”

Summer 2009

Bangalore, India

Namaskara! In June 2009, I traveled to Bangalore, India to work with the Technology for Emerging Markets Research (TEM) group, part of Microsoft Research India.  The TEM group is a multidisciplinary think tank that recognizes the limitless potential for development through the careful implementation of ICT and scientific research.

The internship has been an extremely rewarding and incredible learning experience. Currently, I am working on a research project that looks at understanding how to improve the quality of education in rural and low-income urban communities. I am doing a comparative study of English education in five schools, ranging from those where the quality of education is lacking, to schools in which students become fluent English speakers. The goal is to gain some sense for how good English education is in different environments. It also tries to understand what school investments are needed and teaching capacity required to teach and learn English at a high level.

As an extension of my research, I embarked on a two-week immersion program with the George Foundation’s Shanti Bhavan school. I volunteered and taught classes while observing the impact made through the Foundation’s immense investments in the school. By the end of this year, I will be done with my internship and will return to the United States to begin studying for the GRE. I plan to find a way to incorporate the knowledge and skills I acquired during this incredible internship to my career in a way that is useful, meaningful, and fulfilling.

Dmitry received the Sociology of Race, Class and Gender Award by the Sociology department at UCSC for his research with street and working children in New Delhi, India.