The Education Matters Zimbabwe Career Connect Internship Program, which began in 2016, is an experiential service-learning program that matches second- and third-year Zimbabwean students studying abroad in countries such as U.S., Canada, India, Rwanda, Ghana and many more with Zimbabwean companies and non-governmental organizations during the student’s 3-month vacation period from university.
The spectrum of available internship opportunities is broad and responsive to the interests of the selected student participants. The program runs for eight weeks either between the months of June and August or September and November. The internship is unpaid, student participants are expected to source funds to cover their own expenses during their internship and to pay a small administrative fee to cover program costs on the ground. Most institutions offer funding for service-learning opportunities and prospective ZCC interns are highly encouraged to apply and take advantage of these.
As part of the program, students have weekly feedback meetings on Friday afternoons and engage in group community service, social activities such as an educational trip, participate in programs in conjunction with EducationUSA and USAP Community School including a college fair and pre-departure orientation. Students will also keep a work logbook to be updated weekly and signed by both supervisor and ZCC coordinator, a guided journal to record their experiences during the internship and do a final project that leaves their workplace better than they found it or works with their mentor on a research project of interest to both the student and the internship site.
Zimbabwe Career Connect seeks to contextualize the students’ academic experience and aid the student in experiencing life as a professional in Zimbabwe. The program seeks to expose students to fields that vary depending on their individual interests and include but are not limited to biomedical science, computer science, development work, public health, business, engineering, education and environmental studies. Students also get to rotate in the various departments of the internship site aiding their leadership and management skills.
The immersive nature of the program engages students and encourages them to make connections between their coursework, research, community service and place of work. Through this program, Education Matters aims to assist Zimbabwean students studying in the internationally to make meaningful connections in order to use the skills and knowledge they gain at university to contribute to positive change at home and for a smooth transition back for work or other endeavors.
ZCC partner organizations continue to increase year by year impacting over 80 students to date. 2024 ZCC cohort firms that have hosted the program interns include Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Ecosurgica, ART Farm, Ascon Engineering, Afrikera Arts Trust, Nobel Hands Zimbabwe, Nyirenda Engineering, UnCommon.org, Econet Wireless, Friendship Bench, Emergination Africa, IH Group Securities and Nature Invest. Host organizations interested in partnering with Education Matters Zimbabwe Career Connect Internship Program can reach out to betty@edmattersafrica.org.
Applications for ZCC 2025 are open.
Apply here by Friday, 15 November 2024 to be considered for first-round decision; deadline for second-round decision is 15 January 2025.
You may contact us with any questions or for more information at betty@edmattersafrica.org
