Guide Informatics Engineering Students STEI ITB to Get Student Exchange Program to the United States
In early March 2014, I had the opportunity to participate in two events simultaneously over three weeks in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. My participation was fully sponsored by the United States government after I was selected as one of two Indonesian students representing the event through a closed selection process.
The first event is AFS Sponsored Program Workshop, a workshop on student exchange programs organized by AFS, an international non-profit organization specializing in student exchange and intercultural understanding. In this workshop, I served as an alumnus of AFS' YES (Youth Exchange and Study) program from 2009-2010, four years ago.
In this workshop, apart from attending sessions that provide knowledge about volunteering, handling exchange students, fundraising, mencari hostfamilybureaucracy, and various other things, I also participated in the Indonesian booth at the International Bazaar, where all of AFS's international partners (around 12 countries in attendance) showcased their respective cultures at booths in a large room. The other Indonesian delegates and I wore traditional clothing and brought along traditional Indonesian fabrics, souvenirs, and snacks. We also explained culture and Indonesia in general and answered various questions from visitors. In another session, I also gave a presentation on the problems Indonesian exchange students often face when navigating life in the United States. At the end of the workshop, I had the opportunity to visit the office of a United States Senator to share my experiences and impact that an alumni gets from the YES program.
The second event is YES Alumni 2014 Ashoka’s Youth Venture Social Entrepreneur Workshopa workshop on social projects and community development by youth. Unlike previous workshops attended by all AFS volunteer representatives from various countries, this workshop was attended by only 20 YES program alumni from the United States and 11 other countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Mozambique, Kenya, India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and several others. We were selected because of our contributions and active participation in community and community development after our previous student exchange program.
In this workshop we received very valuable and useful materials for ourselves and the community around us.
learned valuable lessons on how to identify problems around us, find the right solution ideas, design campaigns for social projects, seek funding, collaborate with existing stakeholders, how to inspire people to support our movements, and important skills such as communication and presentation. There were also many lessons on developing our mentality, how to never give up, dare to act, and not be afraid to care for the good of the community/society. The way the material was presented was very relaxed, relaxed, and fun, so that all participants were proactive in developing their respective social project plans. In between sessions, there were interactive, fun, and insightful games, so we didn't get bored quickly. In addition, in their free time, participants were also welcome to explore the cities of Alexandria and Washington DC, which can be reached by subway in 10 minutes.
All the participants were outstanding students from various countries, with equally impressive social projects. Students from Kenya, for example, had a project to build clean water wells for their surrounding communities. Students from Turkey chose to increase the Turkish public's knowledge of their legal, political, and constitutional rights. One student from the United States even created a project to provide training and support. single mother in Ghana, enabling their communities to escape the cycle of poverty. I personally designed a movement related to environmental and youth development in Bandung. At the end of the workshop, we were asked to present our project plan to a panel of prominent organizations and the United States government to receive input. feedback constructive.
feel incredibly fortunate that this workshop didn't stop at just the training. We, the alumni of this program, were asked to implement our programs over the next year, with substantial funding opportunities available. Undeniably, those three weeks were incredibly enlightening and taught me a lot. I gained new knowledge, new friends, new connections, and a renewed enthusiasm to contribute. I hope more Indonesian and ITB students will have this opportunity in the years to come. Thank you.
Pandu Kartika Putra / 13511090
Informatics Engineering ITB 2011