Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) Internship Program Summer 2017

The program was designed to provide emerging development professionals with relevant policy experience and to benefit teams across the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with the passion and ingenuity of students and faculty. The internship was available in various offices within USAID's Washington D.C. office, with 32 position descriptions listed for summer 2017. The positions were categorized by bureau, including the Bureau for Africa, Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and the Environment, Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, Bureau for Food Security, Bureau for Global Health, Bureau for Management, and Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning. One of the internship positions was the Education Program Assistant in the Office of Education, Bureau for Africa. The Education Program Assistant worked directly with the team of Senior Education Advisors to support key education activities, research, and projects on early grade reading, school feeding, and other areas as needed. The intern engaged in and disseminated relevant and innovative research related to advancing the goals of the Education Strategy, provided technical support to the Research for Effective Education Programming-Africa contract, and was consulted regularly for input, advice, and recommendations on internal and interagency documents. The Education Program Assistant also gathered, organized, and analyzed data to ensure missions were on the right track to achieve targets and design reviews. The intern worked closely with the Research for Effective Education Programming-Africa contract to review and comment on draft documents. The position required strong analytical and communication skills, as well as the ability to work effectively in a team environment. The HESN Internship Program provided a unique opportunity for students and recent graduates to gain hands-on experience in international development and to contribute to the work of USAID. The program was designed to foster the next generation of development professionals and to provide a platform for students to apply their skills and knowledge in a real-world setting.