Ashoka Research Internship Feb 2014

Everyone A Changemaker™

200434Registration No. 34/2004

Ashoka Arab World Regional Office

931 93 Abdel Aziz Al Saud Street – 7th

Floor –

Apt.1

Manial – Cairo – Egypt

Tel : (202) 25328586 – 23655336 – 25314775 - 25314779 Fax : (202) 23654404

www.ashoka-arab.org www.ashoka.org

Ashoka Arab World – Internship Program

Terms of Reference

Research Intern

Background

Ashoka is the global association of the world‟s leading social entrepreneurs—men and women with system

changing solutions for the world‟s most urgent social problems. Social entrepreneurs are individuals with

innovative solutions to society‟s most pressing social problems. From its regional office in Cairo, Ashoka

Arab World creates a competitive, entrepreneurial, and globally integrated citizen sector and develops the

profession of social entrepreneurship. Ashoka currently works with 75 Ashoka Fellows located in Egypt,

Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Fellows Search & Selection is the mechanism through which Ashoka finds and supports the world‟s

leading social entrepreneurs. Ashoka was founded on the Venture model 30 years ago, and Venture

remains the heart of Ashoka—the work upon which all of our efforts depend. We believe that the growth

of a global citizen sector begins with the work of individual social entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs

drive the sector forward, responding to new challenges and changing needs. They are rooted in local

communities but think and act globally. They are the ultimate role models and the pillars of Ashoka‟s vision

of Everyone a Changemaker™.

Sector Mapping Research is an integral component of the Search and Selection department‟s role in

understanding the status of social development issues in the Arab World, and identifying the key players

and changemakers tackling these social issues. Using the sector mapping results, Ashoka identifies the

existing gaps of unaddressed problems in different sectors such as health, education, and employment,

spanning the Arab region.

Position Title: Research intern

Reports to: Venture Assistant

Employment: Full-time for the duration of 3-6 months

Salary: Unpaid

Office hours: 9 am to 5 pm (unless assigned to stay later fulfilling work requirements)

Working days: Sunday through Thursday, with weekends on Friday and Saturday. Work-related

obligations sometimes require weekend attendance. For immediate start.





Floor –

Apt.1


Tel : (202) 25328586 – 23655336 – 25314775 - 25314779 Fax : (202) 23654404


Objective

The objective of this research assignment is to conduct a complete mapping of the education sector in Egypt, in

order to understand current trends, gaps, and initiatives working in this sector.

Research Focus Areas

A. Enhancing learning in primary, preparatory, and secondary schools:

This includes both public and private schools, each researcher will handle one or more level of

education (primary or preparatory or secondary)

„Learning enhancement‟ refers to three main arms:

1. First, improving the learning environment (teacher training, counselor rehabilitation, safety

within schools)

2. Second, enhancing curricula

3. Third, enhancing teaching methods

B. Non-formal Education: education initiatives that occur outside of schools. This includes, but is not limited

to, capacity building, life-skills, critical thinking, and alternative education.

C. Special Needs Education:

The first arm is the initiatives focusing on special education of special needs children

The second arm is initiatives working on inclusion of special needs children in schools and

improvement of the care provided to them inside schools

D. School-to-Work Transition: initiatives preparing young adults (university level) for the labor market and life

after completion of formal schooling.

E. Education Knowledge Generation and Advocacy: initiatives gathering data on education, conducting research

on education, evaluating education policies, and advocating and pressuring for policy reform in education

Duties and responsibilities

The Search and Selection intern will work closely with the Venture Assistants to conduct the following activities:

Perform complete research on one or more of the aforementioned research focus areas in

education

Identify stakeholders and current initiatives working in the different research focus areas, as well as

using the gathered data to analyze the existing gaps in the sector





Floor –

Apt.1


Tel : (202) 25328586 – 23655336 – 25314775 - 25314779 Fax : (202) 23654404


Conduct online and phone surveys for data collection

Maintain detailed documentation and tracking system of organizations and individuals contacted for

the research

Support the team to prepare materials for the practitioners sector mapping workshop

Support the team with preparation and logistics of the practitioners sector mapping workshop

Briefing the Search & Selection team prior to the workshop to specify desired outcomes

Workshop documentation

AAW Internship Terms

Internships are unpaid

Work related expenses are covered

This research internship is for the duration of 3 months, possibly extended to 6 months

Interns are requested to bring their own laptop

We are based in Manial, Cairo, Egypt

Our working week is Sunday through Thursday from 9 AM - 5 PM

We accept interns on a rolling basis throughout the year, across AAW programs

Internship Benefits

Interns are offered a first class immersion in the Social Entrepreneurship space in Egypt, being

exposed and connected to the world‟s leading social innovators and getting involved with a team

fully committed to positive social changemaking.

Interns are treated like staff members and have similar responsibilities. Interns have the opportunity

to attend all our meetings, conferences, events and share by their insights, ideas and efforts in all

our office operations, procedures and programs.

Interns will gain hands-on experience in conducting practice-oriented research (non-academic) that

will directly feed into Ashoka‟s future contributions in solving social problems.





Floor –

Apt.1


Tel : (202) 25328586 – 23655336 – 25314775 - 25314779 Fax : (202) 23654404


Interns will receive guidance in research methods and approaches

Additionally, interns develop and exercise analytical thinking skills, as the purpose of the internship

is not only to gather and collect data, but also analyze the implication of the results on the existing

gaps in social initiatives in Egypt.

Qualifications

Education

Holder of M.A, B.A. or an undergraduate that meets the requirements and that can commit fulltime for the

duration (for example, those who conduct internships for university credit) in a relevant field, preferably in

Social Sciences (development studies, economics, psychology, sociology, political science) or Education

Experience and Requirements

Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic

Excellent research skills

Good communication skills

Flexible and creative

Passionate about social development issues in the Arab World

The Person

First and foremost, we are looking for individuals that are genuinely interested in gaining research

experience, and are willing to do so through committing full-time for the specified duration. We are also

looking for interns that can start immediately.

Furthermore, the person

Must be creative within her/his scope of work and very resourceful in problem solving

Must understand Ashoka‟s vision and work.

Must demonstrate her/his commitment with social change.

Must be a deeply trustworthy person.

Must be service-oriented and flexible.

Must be detail-oriented and able to manage multiple high-priority tasks at once.

Must be a team player with a high level of commitment.





Floor –

Apt.1


Tel : (202) 25328586 – 23655336 – 25314775 - 25314779 Fax : (202) 23654404


Must maintain cooperative working relationships and interact with others in a helpful, courteous

and friendly manner.

Must demonstrate sensitivity to, and respect for, a diverse population and be able to work with

persons of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds across all areas of the world.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send their application package to:

[email protected] and [email protected] with “Research Intern” in the subject

line

Application package should include

1- Updated Resume in a PDF format, including your personal mobile number and email

2- Writing sample, something that you previously wrote entirely by yourself, in English on any topic of

interest and that is not less than one page.

3- Answers to the following questions:

a) Why are you interested in doing an internship for AAW?

b) Do you have research experience? If yes, what kind of paper/project was that? Please

provide the context of this work, its purpose, as well as the duration/frequency.

c) Describe a situation where you have been innovative and/or entrepreneurial.

d) Please indicate your preferred starting and ending dates for the internship.

e) Will you be able to commit to a full-time internship in our office from 9 AM - 5 PM, Sunday

through Thursday during your preferred internship period?

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Ashoka Research Internship Feb 2014