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Experiential learning through Community Projects and Internships
A Community Project (CP) or Internship (I) is the point where the real world meets the AUC curriculum head-on. This is when a student leaves the classroom and integrates academic learning and lectures with life and even potential careers.
Students at AUC are required to complete at least one Community Project or Internship. Students enrol for a Community Project or Internship as a separate course, which must meet the minimum hour requirements for a course of 6 ECP. This translates to 168 hours in total. This can be done either in January or June by working full-time (40 hours per week over four weeks) or during the 16-week period semester by working about 10 hours per week. Community Projects and Internships can also be completed over the summer (July and August).
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Differences between a Community Project and an Internship
Community projects and Internships differ mainly in their general focus, but also in their contributions to learning goals.
Community Projects
Community Projects offer AUC students the opportunity to serve a community and develop social and civic awareness. They are intended to promote engagement at local, national and global levels, and they are intended to foster personal and social responsibility.
Internships
Internships offer students the opportunity to gain practical work experience, develop research skills in their field of study and help prepare students for future professional or academic careers. Internships must specifically contribute to the development of academic skills as defined in the AUC Academic Standards and Procedures.
An Internship generally offers students a chance to develop their professional or work-related skills, but in practice, both a Community Project and Internship may provide students with extra skills that both enhance what they have studied in the classroom and prepare them for a career in their chosen field. During their time at AUC, students may also do both a Community Project and an Internship if they so choose.
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Final report and evaluation
At the conclusion of their Community Project or Internship, all students must submit a final report in which they critically reflect on the learning outcomes and their supervisor's evaluation. The report typically discusses the professional skills they've learned, the personal development they've witnessed by participating in the community project or internship, progress on their interpersonal skills and how the experience has shaped their ideas on citizenship.
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CPI Manuals and Guidelines
The PDF file below details the guidelines, desired learning outcomes and evaluation methods used for Community Projects and Internships at AUC.
- Student experiences
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Questions about Community Projects and Internships?
Students, organisations and others interested in the Community Projects and Internships programme at Amsterdam University College should contact the CPI office via the email address below.
Current AUC students should look on the student information portion of Canvas for more information related to the CPI programme, including the application process, report deadlines and a list of CPI partners/openings.