Tripp created the University of Maryland’s Virtual Global Internship Program which has allowed students to gain real world experience with international researchers, organizations and businesses throughout the global pandemic. Cognella, an academic publisher, recognized her contributions with The Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award for Family Science.
When the University of Maryland, like so many educational institutions, was forced to transform to an all virtual approach in Spring 2020, Family Science senior lecturer Kerry Weil Tripp wasted no time.
She created the University of Maryland’s Virtual Global Internship Program which has allowed students to gain real world experience, in spite of the global pandemic, with international researchers, organizations and businesses. Cognella, an academic publisher, recognized her contributions with The Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award for Family Science. Her second place award was presented virtually during the National Council on Family Relations’ annual conference in November and included a monetary award of $500.
Through this program, students have had the opportunity to conduct global research on topics ranging from environmental justice to COVID-19 contract tracing. Dr. Tripp spearheaded a collaboration with Seoul National University (SNU) and the University of Maryland Extension program; now, UMD students help SNU faculty research about Korean-American families, and SNU students compare childhood education standards in both countries. During the first year of the Virtual Global Internship Program, Dr. Weil Tripp supported the creation of over 50 virtual internship opportunities.
Tripp created VGIs with a UMD Innovators Grant that she received in summer 2020 to address challenge of how the university could continue the experiential classes and internship programs that give students an important professional advantage. With geography no longer a limitation, Tripp decided to explore a range of opportunities in the global marketplace, with many focused on supporting public health in the midst of the pandemic.
“Our goal is to help college students become global citizens and leaders—all from home,” Tripp said in an email about the program.
In 2020, students interned on a WHO (World Health Organization) funded effort to track and monitor COVID-19 across the African continent. Some supported research by Professor Dina Borzekowski, director of the Global Health Initiative, to study the impacts of children’s educational programming in Africa.
“Because I believe that all UMD students benefit from international learning opportunities, in spring 2021, we continued those Public Health VGIs in Africa and expanded our outreach to include the arts,” Tripp said. “Many of our interns worked with a Middle Eastern partner to support an online Virtual Performance Arts Festival that broadcast in April 2021. Through this online festival, artists from countries that censor their works were able to perform freely. Interns worked in a variety of roles from curators and communications/publicity to serving as translators to support the multi-national participants. That VGI collaboration helped us to receive a UMD ‘Do Good’ award this year, too.”
The VGI program also received a UMD Sustainability Grant for 2021. Environmental Health Associate Professor Sacoby Wilson offered great VGI opportunities that engaged students on projects focused on environmental justice mapping, data analytics, and climate equity and health policy, among others.
Tripp continues to build a coalition with other UMD entities, including the Office of International Affairs, the Education Abroad, Career Services and UMD’s foreign language departments and the new language houses to broaden participation and the types of opportunities students can have.
The newest collaboration Tripp has formed is with the international development agency USAID which will provide VGIs in Spring 2022. She is recruiting Spanish speaking UMD students to work on these projects.
While students and faculty alike look forward to returning to in-person education abroad and internship experiences, the virtual global internships program has broadened student horizons and opened international connections that can complement in-person opportunities.
“Virtual internships are an equitable and sustainable way to allow today’s college students to grow into the next generation’s leaders and help reduce disparities in accessing global networks,” Tripp said.