Twelve university students flew to New Delhi this winter break to participate in a study-abroad program and implement their skills with nonprofit organizations there.
The university’s Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership within the public policy school, hosted a three-week program that enabled students to become consultants for several companies in the country.
The undergraduate and graduate students on the trip, which began Jan. 1, had the opportunity to learn about a different culture and apply skills they have developed throughout their respective programs at this university, said Neil Costello, a third-year graduate student in the public policy department.
“We went there to work,” said Benjamin Alexandro, a graduate student enrolled in the public policy school. “We did a lot of research before this program, so that we could hit the ground running once we got there.”
The students who went on the trip were split into three groups of four and each assigned to a nonprofit organization. Some organizations did not previously have plans for fundraising or ways to keep track of records, for example, and the students joined them to provide insight on those issues, among others, said Arley Donovan, the program coordinator.
The groups were involved with organizations such as the Score Foundation, the Wildlife Trust of India and the Youthreach organization to help with capacity building, fundraising and program evaluation, Donovan said.
Costello said he was placed with the Score Foundation, which helps empower visually impaired people in India, during the trip. His team was tasked with developing a nationwide network and fundraising plan, but members realized the organization’s lack of capacity to implement such tools, he said.
The team developed the Score Foundation’s structure to help market the company to a wider audience, he said.
Participants worked together within these organizations to help them improve, and most students saw that they could truly make a difference for those who live in India, Alexandro said.
Alexandro said that while with the Wildlife Trust of India, which aims to conserve the country’s natural heritage, he tried to create a connection between the population of nearly 1.3 billion in India and the wildlife there.
“It’s amazing to see these organizations work because this is an organization that works in a country that has some issues and problems with corruption,” Alexandro said. “[The country] has some real skepticism towards nonprofits, and they are seen as foreign entities trying to take over. But [the nonprofit] is able to do so much on-the-ground projects, ensuring rangers are doing their jobs and protecting the wildlife from poachers.”
Students spent every weekday at their assigned organizations, Alexandro said. On the weekends, they participated in more traditional study-abroad activities, such as sightseeing. The trip counted as a three-credit capstone course for students in the public policy school.
“We explored Delhi and went to a museum, Gandhi Smriti, where Gandhi spent his last 144 days,” Costello said. “We also visited [a] Sikh temple, which gives out a free meal each day. We got to take a tour of the kitchen and see how they’re able to feed 50,000 people in one day.”
Donovan said this program was different than traditional study abroad programs because of the number of tasks they did with real-life application.
“I picked this program because I’ve never been to India before,” Alexandro said. “I was really hoping to use all the things I learned at the University of Maryland, like fundraising, management, teamwork, to actually help a place that has some of the most unique and amazing wildlife in the world.”
This program allowed students to engage their interests in a hands-on way outside of the classroom, Donovan said.
“Students spend a lot time getting classroom knowledge and don’t get a chance to do something hands-on to test their knowledge,” Donovan said. “[This] gave students a chance to use what they’re learning in the real world and give them a taste of what impact they’re going to have once they’re graduated and working in the field.”
It also forged a connection between the participants and the country, she said.
“The relationships that you built there were fantastic,” Alexandro said, “especially with how generous and appreciative [the nonprofits] are. They wanted us to come over and meet their families. They were always so gracious to us.”
