Many college students’ summer plans of gaining work experience and skill-building have been disrupted by travel limitations and border closures. To get around these barriers while maintaining social distancing measures, NYU Abu Dhabi has created a program to help students secure remote, full-time volunteer positions for those who cannot return home and are looking for a summer internship program.

The Social Impact Catalyst Program is the brainchild and collaborative efforts from our Volunteer and Community Outreach Office, Career Development Center, and Global Education Office. The team’s goal was to provide a mutually beneficial internship that supports organizations transitioning to virtual modes of recruiting and hiring, while allowing NYUAD students to engage in meaningful summer work, said Dana Downey, assistant dean of students and director of the Career Development Center.

In the UAE partners like Mawaheb from Beautiful People, an art studio for people of determination in Dubai, and Emirates Nature-WWF, a non-profit organization providing science-based solutions to combat climate change, are among several organizations onboard with providing various virtual positions.

Read more: Keeping Busy This Summer

Some of the global partnerships include:

• Jordan River Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1995 with a focus on child safety and community empowerment. Chaired by Queen Rania, it is a major player in Jordan's social and economic development, bringing forth over 20 years of experience to local community empowerment and child safety.

• Sakhi for South Asian Women, an anti-domestic violence organization that works with the South Asian community in the New York metropolitan area.

• Karkhana, a Nepalese organization who seek to empower people with skills to help shape the future of their community. 

• The Capetown-based Economics Policy Research Institute that monitors and evaluates strategies, policies and programmes to support inclusive social development and equitable economic growth.
  
  
• Bloom School of Nepal who provides scholarships to underprivileged children in remote parts of Nepal. The school’s current executive director Chandan Mishra happens to be a NYUAD 2019 alumnus who returned home after graduation to work with underprivileged school children.

Read more: Bloom Like a Flower and NYUAD Class of 2019 Chandan Mishra Wins Zayed Sustainability Prize