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Global Engagement Studies Institute (GESI)

2024 Program Options

***APPLICATIONS EXTENDED FOR SOME PROGRAM LOCATIONS***

The GESI program will be offered in Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Uganda and Vietnam for Summer 2024. Program details can be found below and in the GLObal Gateway.

The GESI-Vietnam application is closed. Applications for all other program locations will be accepted through February 18. Applications will be reviewed and admissions decisions will be made on a rolling basis until program locations are full. An interview with the relevant GLO advisor (see below) is required as a part of the application process. Please note that there are limited spaces at each site. Interested applicants should APPLY ASAP.

Schedule an appointment with a GLO adviser to discuss the program options in more detail:

  • Miranda Goosby (GESI-Uganda, GESI-Vietnam)
  • Sara McGuinn (GESI-Argentina, GESI-Costa Rica, GESI-Ecuador)

 

About GESI

The Global Engagement Studies Institute (GESI) is a study abroad program that provides undergraduates with the knowledge, tools, and experiences to partner with communities to confront shared global challenges. GESI provides opportunities in collaborative experiential learning – opportunities that develop global leaders while contributing to the sustainable development of communities in which our students work and learn. Working in internships, interdisciplinary teams of students join the efforts of local organizations to advance community-driven change. If you are looking for a program where you learn by doing and are ready to challenge yourself in the pursuit of global social change, GESI is for you.

Quick facts:

  • GESI is one study abroad program with different location options
  • Applicants are assigned to an internship based on their preferred location and sector interests
  • All students live with a host family 
  • All years in undergrad and all majors/minors are eligible 

Application Process

  1. View a recording of the GESI information session to learn more about the program and location-specific details before scheduling your advising appointment or interview. 
  2. Select your preferred GESI location. Program specific details are available in the GLObal Gateway.
  3. Complete your application to a specific GESI location. Applicants will select a specific GESI location and one alternative location preference.
  4. Schedule a program interview with the appropriate GESI advisor 

GESI staff will review applications with attention to your:

  • Location preference. Students will apply to a specific GESI country location and indicate a second-choice option in the event spots become unavailable in their preferred location. 
  • Demonstrated language ability for Spanish-speaking locations--to be evaluated in your interview.
  • Interests and how they align with available internship opportunities and the needs and priorities of the community organizations where students work.

"GESI takes everything you think you know about the world and completely flips it upside down in an extremely impactful way. The skills and lessons I learned from GESI will last me a lifetime."

Rachel Gladney

Connect with GESI Alums

Program Details

GESI has three components that make up the structure of the program:

  • Pre-departure Seminar (4 days of coursework and orientation at Northwestern)
  • In-country Immersion (8 weeks interning with a host organization and living in a homestay)
  • Final Reflection Summit (3 days of re-entry programming back at Northwestern)

All accommodations and the majority of meals are arranged for students for all three components.

Summer 2024 Program Dates

Pre-departure Seminar (in person at Northwestern): June 11-14
Departure Day: June 15
In-country Immersion: June 16-August 13
Final Reflection Summit (in person at Northwestern): August 14-16

Academics

Pre-Departure Seminar

The GESI program starts on Northwestern’s campus where students take part in several days of intensive pre-departure coursework and orientation focused on building an understanding of their role in the process of international immersion and community development. In addition to lectures, team-building and small group activities, students will attend country-specific sessions, learn about development topics from practitioners, and attend language classes to prepare them for time abroad. The pre-departure seminar also include a focus on discussing social identities, health and safety, and sharing resources and practical information for the field. GESI students will also work closely with a team of peer facilitators, who will provide academic and personal support, as well as assist in teaching activities.

3-credit GESI field studies course:

  • INTL ST 393-SA Development in a Global Context
    This course combines intensive classroom with structured experiential learning, as well as peer-to-peer education to examine international development work. The course sets contemporary development practice in the context of fundamental debates over the nature and goals of non-profits and other such efforts, the causes of global poverty, and the history of development, with particular attention to the relationships between power, participation, and social change. Students will be introduced to the political, social, economic, cultural and geographic characteristics of their different locations, with consideration to how these factors influence community-based work. Overall, the course seeks to give students the intellectual, emotional and practical readiness, and framework to pursue and reflect critically on their field experience and in-country work.

In-Country Immersion

While abroad, you will be working in teams with local organizations, advancing their efforts towards sustainable change. Topics vary by program location and include a focus on issues like human rights, sustainable agriculture, gender rights, health services, and youth/education. Your schedule will resemble a work schedule common in your location (roughly 30 hours/week). All students live in homestays and will complete weekly assignments (reflections, field essays and final papers) submitted to Northwestern program faculty. Host organization supervisors will also evaluate students on their project work and community engagement during the internship experience. 

Final Reflection Summit

At the end of GESI, all students reconvene in the classroom at Northwestern for three days of re-entry coursework and programming as a cohort.  Everyone discusses lessons learned, challenges, and successes of their internship and in-country experience. We believe that reflective practice is an integral component of study abroad programs. The GESI Final Reflection Summit is designed to help students contextualize their international community development experiences within the larger issues of international development theory and practice and to look ahead to next steps beyond the program.

 

Travel, Passports, & Visas

Please make sure to have a current passport, valid for at least six months from the end of your program.  Once you are accepted, you will be provided more information about applying for your visa, flight booking, etc.

If you have more questions about the GESI program, review the program pages for your desired location(s) and read through GESI FAQs.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Scholarships are available to support participation in GESI for financial aid eligible students, including scholarships to cover the full program fee (tuition, room and board) and other program costs (airfare and other travel-related expenses). 

Eligibility

Admission to the GESI Summer 2024 will be limited to Evanston campus students only. Current students of all majors and minors and any year in school are eligible. Only graduating seniors planning to defer their graduation date to end of summer may be eligible. 

Student Stories

One active way GESI encourages story sharing is through the Open Letters curriculum. Open Letters are an exercise to deepen reflective practice, reinforce group formation, and provide opportunities for students to convey the impact of their experiences and engagement in new ways. The Story Slam is the live recording of GESI students sharing an Open Letter. These are live recordings that have not been edited or modified.

Story Slam Summer 2016

Story Slam Summer 2015