2025 Practicums
Sameen worked with CARE USA’s Food and Water Systems Team in Atlanta, Georgia where she developed a toolkit to support CARE's learning agenda on the government adoption of Farmer Field Business Schools in Uganda. Her work contributes to assessing accountability mechanisms and common minimum protocols required for the adoption and scaling up of the Farmer Field Business School approach globally.
Francis served as a Research Assistant with a research project focused on farmer market management and funded by the Southern Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SSARE) Program of the United States Department of Agriculture. Based in Atlanta, he conducted data analysis, developed manuscripts and policy briefs, and presented findings at national conferences. This practicum broadened Francis’ skillset in stakeholder engagement, research communication, and policy analysis while also deepening his experience in applied research on sustainable food systems.
Sandra worked with The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, supporting the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) efforts of the Strategy, Innovation, and Learning Department, tracking and analyzing staff engagements with MEL capacity building instruments and initiatives. She also analyzed and presented results from internal localization surveys and digitalized tools for the evaluation of mental health program in Liberia.
Abena interned with Porter’s Center for Global Leadership where she helped design, implement, and evaluate leadership development programs for high school girls. In her role she supported marketing and outreach initiatives for the Institute for Impact and drafted a proposal to expand programming to Africa. Irene also served as a Residential Community Advisor at Miss Porter’s School where she contributed to developing protocols for a safe and inclusive residential environment for students.
Ibrahima worked with the Liberia Organic Cacao & Agricultural Company in Washington, DC where he supported investor outreach, recruited and onboarded volunteers, and developed community engagement strategies. In his role, he also assisted the CEO with operations, communications, and partnership development, participated in industry webinars, and led value-chain field visits to chocolate producers in Pennsylvania.
Hannah interned with the Sustainable Urban Development Section of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) working remotely witha team based in Bangkok, Thailand. She supported high-impact regional initiatives focused on advancing urban sustainability in the Asia-Pacific, including contributing to capacity building programs for city leaders, urban resilience planning for sinking cities, and drafting Cambodia’s National Smart City Strategy in collaboration with the Thai Ministry of Interior.
Andrew worked with The Bridge Evangelical Church in Buford, Georgia where he led an environmental education program teaching children about recycling and stewardship. In this role, he developed curriculum, led in-person activities, and managed social media outreach.
Sandra worked with the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance, a global health initiative of The Task Force for Global Health, in Atlanta, Georgia. She collaborated with the communications team to create social media content to raise awareness about child mortality and the program’s impact in partner countries. This experience equipped Sandra with hands-on experience in public health messaging.
Jade worked with a sickle cell research team at Emory Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia where she explored the care transitions of adults with sickle cell disease. Her work focused on identifying structural barriers to continuity of care and hospital readmissions, with attention to social determinants of health. Jade supported broader public health efforts to advance health equity and improve chronic disease management for historically underserved populations.
Annie worked with Semilla Nueva in Guatemala City, supporting the organization’s Monitoring and Evaluation Team. Through this practicum, Annie learned about different approaches to Monitoring and Evaluation and data analysis, researching data collection methods and tools, and helping evaluate the efficacy of using biofortified maize seeds through farm visits in rural Guatemala.
Joslyn worked with The SageD Collective in Atlanta, Georgia to integrate systems-design in local food systems and leadership development initiatives for women community leaders and change-makers. She supported the newest Legacy Leadership Cohort and 2025 Summer Community of Practice sessions, coordinated communications with partners, and contributed to evaluation efforts to capture program impact.
Nicole interned with the Innovation for Development Facility of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), focusing on gender digital divides in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. In her role, she conducted data analysis, facilitated focus groups, translated materials, and served as the liaison between OECD teams and national stakeholders. Nicole also contributed to country reports, blog posts, and online engagement platforms.
Erica worked with ActionAid Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, supporting the organization’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) initiatives. She worked closely with program teams and local partners to improve data management systems, streamline reporting tools, and develop user-friendly dashboards for tracking progress. Her contributions helped strengthen evidence-based decision-making and accountability mechanisms within ActionAid Ethiopia’s rights-based, feminist programming approach.
Annette served as a Data Intern with Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia where she focused on reducing hospital readmissions for patients with sickle cell disease. She conducted a comprehensive literature review on interventions targeting 30-day readmissions and hospital length of stay, synthesizing data to support evidence-based strategies. Her work contributed to research outputs aimed at improving patient care pathways and informed ongoing intervention development.
Willow interned with The World Bank’s Climate Change Group, working remotely from Atlanta for a team based in the coastal city of Dakar, Senegal. In that role, Willow co-authored the 2025 Country Climate and Development Report for The Gambia and wrote a grant proposal for $700,000 (USD) to support novel programming on plastic pollution mitigation in Senegal.
Tema and Mari traveled to the Philippines with a United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) team to support a process evaluation of the UMCOR’s Disaster Management Offices in the region. Together, they conducted 63 key informant interviews and focus group discussions across three episcopal areas to assess how these offices support disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and risk reduction.
Patrick worked with the Toco Hills Community Alliance in Atlanta, Georgia where he contributed to food pantry operations, coordinated donations and donor relations. Collaborating with staff and volunteers, Patrick supported the distribution of food and other supplies to over 600 vulnerable families every week. This experience enhanced Patrick’s nonprofit management and community engagement skills.