"Professor Arntson's team building exercises and classes about group dynamics were invaluable. They gave our team the same vocabulary and tools to mediate conflicts and make decisions while abroad and helped us understand each other's motivations."
- Catherine Wu
"I will always treasure my home-stay experience. I became very close with my siblings and loved having a large family. I learned that wherever you are, a family is a family and life is lived day to day."
- Ellen Abrams
"My home-stay was one of the best aspects of my summer. I could not wait to get home after work. My sisters taught me so much about Ugandan culture as well as life in general. We have grown up on different sides of the world but we may as well as lived next door."
- Chelsea Christman
"I learned how compassionate people can be who have just met you and the wonderful hospitality and family culture that exists in India."
- Asha Toulmin
"Our NGO let us work independently, but took co-ownership of our project, which was comforting as we were creating a proposal for them and we required input and feedback to know that our work had a purpose."
- Elizabeth Montgomery
"Being at our NGO was the single best part of the trip. I loved the community, and I loved the people there. It is an amazing NGO that does amazing things. The challenges we faced taught us to overcome obstacles."
- Alex Grubman
"The FSD site team was incredible. I've never worked with such capable, caring, fun people. They made me feel so at home and safe and also really supported us with our NGO."
- Asha Toulmin
"The FSD site team was fantastic. They helped us with everything we needed from managing tough NGO relationships to making sure our project plans were really attempting to achieve sustainable development."
- Claire Olszewski
"I could not have imagined a better set of teammates. They were all extremely committed and brought all they knew to the table."
- Chelsea Christman
"I am very impressed by the commitment and intelligence of the fellow students in GESI. I definitely learned much from them."
- XinKai Cheng
"The diversity of our group made us effective -- while others preferred to work on logistical, behind-the-scenes stuff; some were outspoken, others were more contemplative; some were better planners, some were better at actuating ideas on paper."
- Abby Hannifan
"To succeed in this program you have to be willing to set aside your expectations. This applies both to the outcomes of your project, as well as the expectations of what daily life will consist of."
- Elizabeth Montgomery
"This program gave new meaning to hands on learning. The background at the institute on development was great, and a week later you were on site attempting to implement what you had learned, and in the process learning far more than you could imagine."
- Rachel Suffrin
"It is unique that GESI students do not have a predetermined project before arriving in country. Although this can lead to certain challenges, I was grateful for this approach."
- Ellen Abrams
"The most unique thing was the amount of exposure we got to the community. I felt like I was a part of it and not just observing it."
- Bryan Stenson
"This experience was absolutely applicable to my personal, professional, academic goals, especially when it comes to approaching development with a realistic perception of how it works on the ground."
- Elizabeth Montgomery
"The experience has given me a new perspective on everything from washing the dishes to how to address world hunger... I will be returning to the lessons I learned on this trip decades from now."
- Alexis Suskin-Sperry
"GESI has helped me mature as a team member and a prospective development worker."
- C.A.

Values

Each GESI value corresponds to a unique program element. Together, these six values form the core of a GESI student’s experience.

1. Comprehensive preparation and education

GESI integrates experiential learning with an in-class curriculum and training developed to equip students with tools to understand and effectively engage in international community development.

2. Immersion and experiential learning

GESI believes that living and working in developing communities is the foundation of a student’s education in the field of international development. Because of this, GESI participants live with a family within their host community. Through this immersion experience, students gain credibility in the community, understanding of the strengths and limitations of development projects, and invaluable insight into another culture.

3. Impact-driven partnerships

Through our partner, the Foundation for Sustainable Development, GESI pairs groups of students with local NGOs that have an emphasis on community-led solutions and are invested in developing a new generation of global change leaders. Through their relationship with their host NGO, students learn the ins and outs of working with organizations in order to most effectively engage, utilize and strengthen the community.

4. Group work and a diversity of perspectives

GESI recognizes that every individual is instilled with experiences, knowledge, and values that can enrich a team. Our students come from various universities, academic programs, and ethnicities, and work in groups of four to six, a structure that allows them to harness this diversity as well as develop their ability to collaborate and cooperate.

5. Sustainable asset-based development

In order to create real change, GESI students implement solutions that build upon the strengths of developing communities so that successful projects can continue long after students return to the U.S. Students’ worldviews are transformed as they learn to leverage the strengths — rather than list the weaknesses — of the communities in which they live and work.

6. Student-centered, multi-tiered support

An integrated network of Northwestern faculty, GESI staff, student instructors, and on-the-ground FSD site teams support and equip students before, during, and after their in-country experience. GESI is committed to challenging students personally, professionally, and academically while fostering an enduring community of students passionate about social change.