LINK: https://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/sustainability-internship-program
PSU’s Sustainability Internship Program makes gaining real-world experience more accessible to more students by offering paid internships in the sustainability field, and they are featuring Half Sky Journeys among their internship providers! 

The word from PSU advisor and global soul Mary Vance:

Academic credit:  
We would be happy to work with you to help you receive academic credit for this internship. Here is a link to information about how to get academic credit at Portland State University: http://www.pdx.edu/careers/getting-experience-through-internships#Credit

Stipend:  
If you are a currently registered and enrolled Portland State University student, you may also inquire about the possibility of applying for funding through the Sustainability Internship Program, student initiated internship pilot program.  For more information on that source of funding, please contact Mary Vance at vancem@pdx.edu; 503-725-4972

Application deadline and start date:
Open until filled.  For best consideration, please submit your application no later than Wednesday, August 26th, 2015.  The internship will start as soon as possible after candidates are selected.

The Half Sky Journeys internship is for students who are interested in learning more about what it takes to build a social impact business. Portland State University is offering specific credit and help for their students, but students of other schools, or mid-career professionals or "encore" career adults looking to explore new fields are also welcome to apply directly and get involved with Half Sky Journeys!

Potential Internship Positions “titles”--
There is a wide variety of learning opportunities for students from various majors. Internships can be customized for the range of skills upon which an intern wishes to focus. Some sample positions may include but are not limited to the following:

Social Media “Butterfly”
Develop your compelling writing skills to be a voice on the Half Sky Journeys blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other media. Learn best practices for social media planning and strategy; learn online management tools like Hootsuite, and E-mail management tools like Mailchimp. Social media is a key part of operational project management—interns get exposure to shared task management tools similar to Salesforce, Zoho, Insightly.

Research Gatherer
Explore the depth and breadth of resources available around travel, women’s empowerment, NGOs and social businesses. Research-lovers can dig deeply into world leader profiles, relevant news, travel advice, and destinations. This is an opportunity both to discover and to organize a wealth of information into practical categories; and to learn more about information and database management.

Number Diver
From big-picture financial business planning; expense reporting; invoicing—Learn how to make cashflow spreadsheets; Profit & Loss Reports; and more. Impact statistics can also be an important part of this intern role—gain knowledge on measurement and evaluation practices in social businesses and nonprofits. Learn about how this information can translate into improving business strategy, reach, and reputation. Spreadsheet lovers welcome. 

Design and HTML for designers and aspiring designers too!
In our entrepreneurial world, we need to wear many hats! If you have an interest in graphic design, web design, photography—Half Sky Journeys can show you a range of web tools that start-ups use to get a tiny business up, running, and looking professional. There are lots of options even for those without design training. If you do have design training, this is an excellent opportunity to apply your skills to real-world projects, to get access and training on Adobe Creative Suite and other world-class software and web tools; and to learn the basic language, digital tools, and best practices for project management and file-sharing for web projects.

Databases & Customer Relationship Cultivator
The skills of customer relationships and database management are bound to be at the heart of most any job in any sector. You can learn more about how these systems operate, compare and contrast customer database tools, learn about opportunities and pipelines in the sales or fundraising process,  and learn how to maintain contact databases, report key information, and best practices for managing contacts through technology and through relationships.

Why it's awesome to be part of Half Sky Journeys

• Real, nitty-gritty first-hand experience building a social entrepreneurship from the ground up
  
• Participate in Advisory Board meetings with a stellar group PDX-based business leaders
  
• Be introduced to a community of international women’s leaders 
  
• Gain skills related to project management, client management, proposal creation, budgeting, digital marketing
  
• Gain knowledge of the world of international development, fundraising, and donor stewardship
  

Example Skills & Learning You Can Gain:

- Streamline a database / client relationship management system 
- Help prepare marketing and outreach materials
- Create compelling social media messages, e-news, etc.
- Research prospects, potential partners, travel destinations
- Financial projections and record-keeping 
- Event planning (project and logistical management both for international trips and for domestic promotional events)

Requirements:
- Knowledge or interest in current global issues relating to women and girls
- In passionate agreement that investing in women and girls is key to global improvement—or at least open to learning more about why it is!
- Your own laptop (Mac environment preferred), tech savvy
- Entrepreneurial, get ‘er done attitude
- Organized, attention to detail
- A willingness to learn impeccable customer service, etiquette, cross-cultural respect
- Men are not excluded— you are encouraged to apply!

If you are interested in rolling up your sleeves and being part of a tiny social entrepreneurship that is growing into something bigger, please send an email with your cover letter and resumé to ila@halfsky.org. Thank you!

Be sure to include:

1. Why you are interested in this opportunity
2. Which roles and/or tasks are most appealing to you and why

Check out the complete interview here:
http://oguntewomen.tumblr.com/post/125167559145/ila-asplund-founder-of-half-sky-journeys-about

Global Engagement Institute offers over a decade of experience in high-impact, multi-cultural academic travel experiences for top universities, plus award-winning tour design in Africa and Asia. Half Sky Journeys brings the innovative solutions of a global women’s empowerment network—plus expertise in international development and media communications—to create bridges of support and leadership across geographical borders and economic sectors. 

Together, we are creating life-changing journeys to transform the future of Women’s Leadership!

• Journeys are offered as customized trainings for businesses and organizations. 
• Individual travelers may also apply to participate. 
  
• Upcoming Women & Leadership Journeys: Rwanda December 2015, Vietnam February 2016. 
  
• Email leadership@halfsky.org for details and registration.
  

Learn more about GEI’s Founder, Dr. Michael Grosspietsch:
http://www.global-engagement.org/about-us/history/

Why it's awesome to be part of Half Sky Journeys

• Real, nitty-gritty first-hand experience building a social entrepreneurship from the ground up
• University credit possible depending on your university program’s criteria (note: this is an unpaid/volunteer opportunity)
• Participate in Advisory Board meetings with a stellar group PDX-based business leaders
• Become part of a community of international women’s leaders 
• Gain skills related to project management, client management, proposal creation, budgeting, digital marketing
• Gain knowledge of the world of international development, fundraising, and donor stewardship
• Research-lovers can dig deeply into prospect profiles, relevant news, travel advice, and destinations
• Use your compelling writing skills to be a voice on Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In
• Receive appreciation in the form of baked goods, coffee, and frequent happy hours (if you like that sort of thing!)

Requirements:

- Knowledge of (and interest in) current global issues relating to women and girls
- In passionate agreement that investing in women and girls is key to global improvement
- Your own laptop (Mac environment preferred), tech savvy
- Entrepreneurial, get ‘er done attitude
- Organized, attention to detail
- Excellent writing and editing skill
- A deep understanding of customer service, etiquette, cross-cultural respect

Bonus if you have....

- Fundraising or sales-related experience
- Adobe CS / layout / design skills
- Basic HTML understanding, CMS experience (Weebly CMS)
- Some nifty worldwide travel adventure stories under your belt
- A knack for social media, experience with Hootsuite
- Photography and/or videography skills
- CRM Database knowledge/experience (Salesforce, Blackbaud, Insightly)
- Financial chops/budget-minded (Spreadsheet Wizardry, Freshbooks, Quickbooks)

Example Tasks:

- Streamline a database / client relationship management system 
- Help prepare marketing and outreach materials
- Create compelling social media messages, e-news, etc.
- Research prospects, potential partners, travel destinations
- Basic financial record-keeping 
- Event planning

If you are interested in rolling up your sleeves and helping this one-woman business become something bigger, please send an email with your cover letter and resumé to ila@halfsky.org. 

Be sure to include:
1. Whether you are seeking mentorship, volunteering, or internship 
2. Why you are interested in this opportunity
3. How you heard about Half Sky Journeys

Thank you!

Ila Asplund, Founder/CEO, Half Sky Journeys 

In autumn where I live, half the sky is brilliant colored leaves, the other half is rain-filled clouds. Someone recently told me that the fall is the time to let things go in order to make room for positive change. Here's a re-cap of some sweet things that happened in 2014; what we're up to now, and how we're creating space for a future that invests in women through meaningful travel!

Click here to read the October e-newsletter, which includes announcements about Acumen.org, Impact Entrepreneurs, Future Now Journeys, and more!

And don't miss the next news delivery straight to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.

Seeking whip-smart, fun, entrepreneurial, and intuitive part-time interns. This is an unpaid opportunity, for 2-5 hours per week (hours are very flexible). You will be paving the way to support women worldwide through meaningful travel, and to building a one-of-a-kind business. Your assistance helps lay a foundation for the success of a locally based, globally minded social venture. Read on for the full description.

Why it's awesome to be a Half Sky Intern

• Real, first-hand experience starting a social entrepreneurship from the ground up
• University credit possible depending on your program’s criteria (this is an unpaid opportunity)
• Become part of a community of international women’s leaders
• Gain skills related to project management, client management, proposal creation, budgeting, digital marketing, travel, and trip-planning
• Gain knowledge of the world of international development, fundraising, and donor stewardship
• Research-lovers can dig deeply into relevant news, travel advice, and destinations
• Use your compelling writing skills to be a voice on Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In
• Baked goods, coffee, and frequent happy hours, if you like that sort of thing

Requirements:

- Knowledge of (and interest in) current global issues relating to women and girls, relationships with any key leaders and organizations a bonus
- In passionate agreement that investing in women and girls is key to global improvement
- Your own laptop (Mac environment preferred
- Understanding of all the basic computer stuff, with skills exceeding era of Web 2.0 and immersed in social media landscape
- Entrepreneurial, get ‘er done attitude
- Organized, attention to detail
- Excellent writing and editing skill
- A deep understanding of customer service, etiquette, cross-cultural respect

Bonus if you have....

- Fundraising or related experience
- Adobe CS / layout / design skills
- Basic HTML understanding, CMS experience (Weebly CMS)
- Some nifty worldwide travel adventure stories under your belt
- A knack for social media, experience with Hootsuite
- Photography and/or videography skills
- Database knowledge/experience (Salesforce, Blackbaud, Insightly)
- Financial chops/budget-minded (Spreadsheet Wizardry, Freshbooks, Quickbooks)

Example Tasks:

- Streamline a database / client relationship management system 
- Help prepare marketing and outreach materials
- Create compelling social media messages, e-news, etc.
- Research prospects, potential partners, travel destinations
- Basic record-keeping and accounting
- Event planning

If you are interested in rolling up your sleeves and helping this one-woman business become something bigger, please send an email with your cover letter and resumé.

Thank you!

Ila Asplund, Founder/CEO, Half Sky Journeys 

ila@halfsky.org

I've been reading a recent blog by Rebecca Rodskog (who we'll be joining next week in San Francisco for FutureNow! Inspiration Journey #1!) about the importance of mentorship in the workplace, especially for Millenial employees. (And more wisdom about the critical need for mentorship to bridge the generational workforce gap, from Everwise—an innovative business mentorship  model which we'll explore on our trip.)

I'd add that for all generations, there seems to be a natural need for connection and an exchange of wisdom both professionally and personally. I think that women and girls worldwide seek these especially, both within our local circles and across borders. On our Half Sky Journey to Kenya, we were thrilled to meet Lindy Wafula who invited us for lunch at her Project Africa women's center. She has a Rafiki Club ("rafiki" means "friend" in Swahili) which facilitates pen-pal relationships across borders, but also provides a local center of support—for women just needing friendship, professional connections, to women who may need shelter from violence or other extreme circumstances. 

And I'm heartened by the desire for US-based companies to come together and consider the needs and circumstances of communities across borders. 

• Does your business support women-empowering work locally or globally? (What does that look like?)
  
• Does being part of a "giving circle" bring you a sense of community? 
  
• Have you found a mentor or become one from this experience?
  

Would love to hear from you. Please write and tell us more!
Thanks, Rafikis! Now enjoy some Zap Mama...