The Ford Motor Company Global Scholars Program
Global Affairs and Development Internships
Future leaders of international community development are being forged at The Washington Center through the Ford Motor Company Global Scholars Program. Combining an international awareness with practical resources, skills, mentorships and training, this program explores ways in which the participants can contribute to the welfare of their communities.
Ford Global Scholars center their work on advancing the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The program includes study focused on:
- In-depth understanding of the MDGs.
- Facilitating strategic global partnerships.
- Promoting the best business practices to advance the MDGs.
- Examining poverty, health, gender equality, access to education, the environment, sustainability, and other important issues.
The program also promotes the exchange of cultural knowledge and skills and provides a platform for structured conversation.
The Ford Global Scholars will analyze the mechanisms needed to continue advances on the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), learn how to facilitate strategic global partnerships, and promote best business practices to advance these MDGs. The issues they will examine include poverty, health, gender equality, access to education, the environment, and sustainability. The program also promotes the exchange of cultural knowledge and skills and provides a platform for structured conversation.
The 15-week program integrates a full-time internship placement with course instruction on international community development. It is complemented by various programming, including panel discussions, site visits, informational interviews, workshops, simulations, and more. These opportunities prepare young leaders to make complex public policy decisions necessary to advance social issues in a global environment.
Through the Ford Global Scholars Program, students will:
- Think critically about the role of the U.N., its achievements and challenges.
- Analyze the evolving history and areas of progress since the creation of the Millennium Declaration in 2000.
- Describe the major areas of concern still pending to be solved.
- Discuss the role and impact that private and public organizations can have in solving some of the most pressing issues.
- List several specific solutions that communities around the world can implement in order to help the public and the private sectors in alleviating some of the problems that are jeopardizing sustainable development.
- Explain how solving some of the pending issues can contribute to achieve sustainable development, a cleaner environment and better trade relationships and practices around the world.
- Assess how economic growth in developing countries can impact successful resolution of the most profound social challenges and raise living standards of its citizens.
- Speak coherently about how cross-cultural collaboration can be improved around the world.
- Demonstrate the influence that the media and politics have on advancing best practices to achieve the goals.
- Present practical situations and recommendations for meeting the MDGs by 2015.
- Practice proper protocol, understand procedures, and become comfortable with skills such as negotiation, caucusing, and speech making.
- Maintain constructive discussions, as they examine and resolve problems based on existing plans and identify where plans need to be refined.
- Effectively execute plans of action, decisions, and deal with crisis situations.
Created in Partnership with the Ford Motor CompanyIn 2008, The Washington Center received major funding from Ford Motor Company to create this unique program. Since its inception the Ford Global Scholars Program has hosted over 100 students in Washington, D.C. Students have come from Sao Paulo and Salvador, Brazil; Chennai, India; Saint Petersburg, Russia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Hanoi, Vietnam and the United States.
The Internship Experience
During a week Ford Global Scholars spend four days at their internship organization and participate on program-specific events on Mondays. Once a week Ford Global Scholars attend an interactive course on U.N. Millennium Development Goals specifically designed to cover all aspects of the initiative’s progress and challenges. In the past, some of the projects Ford Global Scholars worked on included a DVD project to highlight MDG developments in their countries, and a white paper, in which Ford Fellows were given a topic and had to develop unique solutions and ways to implement the solution into practice.
In addition to the academic course, Ford Global Scholars have a chance to learn from over 30 distinguished speakers engaged in various public and private international organizations based in Washington, D.C. During these events Ford Global Scholars share their opinions and take part in interactive discussions covering various topics related to international development, health care, education, gender equality and global poverty. Ford Global Scholars will visit major international and government organizations, including:
- United Nations
- World Bank
- Inter-American Development Bank
- International Trade Administration
- Bread for the World
- ONE
- Amnesty International
- United Way of America
- Grameen Foundation
In the latter half of their semester, Ford Global Scholars will take part in Model U.N. Simulation.
Sample Internship Sites
- International Center for Terrorism Studies
- Asia Society
- Woodrow Wilson Foundation
- Atlantic Council of the United States
- Institute for Global Engagement
- Brazil-U.S. Business Council
- Pan-American Health Organization
- Inter-American Development Bank
- U.S.-Russia Business Council
- World Resources Institute
- International Fund for China's Environment
- U.S. State Department
- Peace Corps
- Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships
- D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities
- Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP
- Double R Productions
- U.S. Small Business Administration
- Voice of America
- National Hispanic Medical Association
How to Apply
Eligibility
This program is available to 20 U.S. students and 10 students attending institutions in the following international locations:
- Chennai, India
- Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Sao Paulo and Salvador, Brazil
- Shanghai, China
- Johannesburg, South Africa
U.S. students accepted into this program will receive a $3,000 scholarship toward housing in TWC apartments. International students coming from institutions in the countries listed above should review the additional financial details [3].
Students will be required to take a specific academic course tailored to this program.
The Ford Motor Company Global Scholars Program will be offered each fall semester for three years, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
How to Apply
U.S. students who are interested in the Ford Motor Company Global Scholars Program along with other fall semester 2012 TWC internship programs should complete our online application [4]. Until final decisions are made with regard to the Ford Global Scholars Program, we will accept students into their second-choice program (International Affairs, Business and Global Trade, etc.).
International students who are interested in this program should complete the downloadable Ford application [5].
The fall 2013 regular deadline is June 14th, and students should apply and indicate their interest in this program on or before that date.
