Widening Circles—Global Social Impact Program
We encourage you to pursue a social impact internship or volunteer opportunity in conjunction with your participation in this program, but it is not required to do so. Experiences can be online, in-person or hybrid and can be abroad or with a local organization that has a global focus.
Through Omprakash, participants have access to over 200 Omprakash partners in 50+ countries that are looking for student interns/volunteers. Register now to begin searching for opportunities!
Examples of Experiences through Omprakash Partners
Brisa Moreno-Alcocer
- Undergraduate Student, Sociology Major
- Volunteer Experience: In-person with Expand Peru (Peru)
“This past summer, I was rewarded with the amazing opportunity of volunteering in Peru through the UC Davis Widening Circles Program! During my time there, I worked on various projects, from children’s afterschool programs to elderly care to group therapies with teen moms, etc. The Widening Circles curriculum helped me reflect on my experience as well as remind me why I am there. What type of help do I intend to bring? Going to Peru has been a life-changing experience for me. It has given me the confidence in myself to navigate a new country on my own as well as envision a career in social justice, making real change for people!”
Yansong Li
- Graduate Student in Geography
- Internship: Online with the Paragon Institute of Innovation (California)
“As an international student from China, I embarked on my academic journey to help foster a more equitable, diverse, and sustainable world. The UC Davis Widening Circle’s program allows me to slow down, look inwards and outwards, and reflect on issues of power and change that sometimes glimpse my mind but are cast out by the rush of day-to-day life. For instance, in our first reflective blog, I got to sit down with my thoughts and plunge into a torrent of self-reflections on my positionality. Asking myself how I am situated in different praxis of power domestically and internationally has been enlightening. My internship is strongly related to my study and research interest in circular economy. As such, it also broadens my understanding of how my research may one day be practically applied.”
Juliet Chicas
- Undergraduate Student, International Relations Major
- Internship: In-person with Escuela de la Calle (Guatemala)
“Through this program, I was able to travel to Guatemala for two months to teach English at a rural school. I managed to seamlessly integrate my in-person experience with the coursework, allowing me to make a positive impact while pursuing my program. I was actively implementing what I learned in how I was interacting with those at school. Through the coursework, I learned how to be impactful in my short time there while also being aware of my privileges there.”
Ruby Raheja
- Undergraduate Student, Environmental Science Major
- Internship: In-person with IPBio - Biodiversity Research Institute (Brazil)
"My IPBio internship in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest has helped me better understand how to mitigate climate change. For example, fungi, specifically mushrooms are able to break down toxins and sequester carbon as well as provide medicinal uses. Learning how to identify them as well as how important they are, especially their root structure mycelium, in the rapidly shrinking rainforest has helped me appreciate my Environmental Studies major at Davis in a real-world context and inspired me to study abroad and take mycology classes.”
Melanie Gallegos-Campos
- Undergraduate Student, Global Disease Biology Major
- Internship: Online with ENGin (Ukraine)
"The Widening Circles program has expanded my understanding of global issues and taught the importance of creating long-lasting change through collaboration and the sharing of power/privilege. In the EdGE platform, I explored topics in cultural awareness, global inequalities, and sustainability to name a few. Through my virtual internship at ENGin, I met two “speaking buddies” who currently live in Ukraine and hoped to improve their English skills through our sessions. Our conversations have given me insight on Ukrainian culture and the resilience shown by citizens during the war. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program and will carry the lessons I have learned as I move forward in my academic and professional career."
Please note: Internship or volunteer opportunities found through the Omprakash partners network are not under control or supervision of UC Davis or Global Affairs.
Self-Identified Internship and Volunteer Experiences
If you have already confirmed a social impact internship/volunteer experience for summer or are interested in opportunities outside of the Omprakash partners, we welcome you to still participate in the program!