Monday, June 25, 2012

Summer Internships: Teaching Girls in Brazil


Samantha Pride
IDSC, Class of 2013
My summer home is in the city of Salvador, Brazil, where I was an exchange student for one year during high school. I am very close to some beautiful beaches and even though it is winter here, the temperature is around 85°F everyday!  

In my position, myself and another teacher from Columbia University are responsible for planning and instructing English classes to 75 Brazilian girls from the ages of 8 to 13 at a nonprofit organization called Bahia Street. 

I have been aware of the Bahia Street organization for over a year. The purpose of their work is to break the cycle of poverty through the education of girls in the form of an academically focused after-school program. From working at Bahia Street, I have seen firsthand how important their work is in the community and how it continues to change the lives of girls’ and their families. In addition to teaching, I am also conducting research independent of Bahia Street on Brazilian women’s attitudes towards female politicians after the election of their President Dilma Rousseff in 2011.


The Brazilian coastline in the state of Bahia.

Lacerda elevator, originally built in 1873, in Salvador's Historic Center.

Near São Francisco church in Salvador.

There are many challenges to overcome in this situation, from making English relative and fun for the different age groups and levels, to working within a small nonprofit. The biggest challenge for me is to prepare lessons in Portuguese that keep the girls involved during the entire class. I have learned from working at other nonprofits that flexibility and a positive attitude really do go a long way and it is no different with my current experience.

Development Theory and Project Management are two courses that have helped prepare me for this internship.  The nonprofit that I am interning with is currently going through some changes and I am observing the discussions and steps developing around the organization’s mission, culture, and funding. Those courses introduced me to a critical thinking of development and projects and as a result, I am able to grasp more fully the situation and discourses happening in front of me. 


Education Policy for Developing Countries was another course that provided me with the material and time to do a great deal of research on the Brazilian education system. The research, along with my internship, has increased my awareness of the quality, practices, and current policies of education in Brazil which has led me to fully understand the difficulties that these girls are up against.