So – you’ve perused our blog, followed us on Instagram, and seen a few of our YouTube videos. By now, you might be ready to take a deeper dive into information about the program: course requirements, possible areas of focus, electives, and the internship. We’ll be hosting four IEDP Virtual Info Sessions between November – February. Registration is open to everyone – whether you’re not … Continue reading Join Us for an IEDP Virtual Info Session!
Hi everyone! Spring is usually a hectic semester for IEDPers and I am not the exception. This semester has been super busy due to the fact that I am taking four courses (one of which is our capstone class) and I am working/volunteering around twenty hours a week. These commitments have limited the time I have to write my own blog posts, but I am happy … Continue reading Living in University City
Journey to Interning at Aga Khan Foundation The purpose of my internship has been to document how people have adapted in these truly difficult times, and it has been inspiring. That word is often overused, but I think it reigns true here. Like a lot of us (us being people in graduate school, people in development work, educators, or humans in general), I struggled with … Continue reading Internship at the Aga Khan Foundation: Documenting the Early Childhood Development COVID-19 Response
Just a couple of months ago I made the move from the four walls of my parent’s home in Pune, India, to being within the four walls of the unit I share with my classmates in Philadelphia, PA. Why I chose to move countries this Spring despite another virtual semester still perplexes my parents. But as some of you reading this would understand, pandemic or not, I’d rather be as close … Continue reading Across the Atlantic: Tips from my move
Anyone reading this has probably experienced some travel plans cancelled or interrupted by the pandemic, so I’ll spare you the details. Long story short – I was planning to do my internship in Hamburg, Germany and instead I’m doing it remotely from my family’s home in Sarasota, Florida. My internship is with UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL). I am on the Literacy & Basic … Continue reading Interning with UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning: A reminder that a master’s degree is only the beginning.
Hi all. For the blog post for this week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Wamweni. Last semester, Wamweni and I spent many many hours on Zoom working on our group technical proposals, so it was great to be able to learn about her experiences outside of class. Below are the main highlights of our conversation: Leslie: Can you tell us a little a bit … Continue reading Wamweni’s Words of Wisdom
Kako is in her last semester of the IEDP. She is currently living in Fukui, Japan. The time difference between Fukui and Philadelphia meant that I had to wake up really early (for a Sunday) and she had to stay up late for us to be able to have this conversation. However, we had a great time chatting and I am happy to share the … Continue reading Kako’s Knowledgeable Decisions
Hi everyone! It’s been a while since the last post. At the end of last year, I decided to stick with my plan to move to Philly for the spring semester even though classes are still virtual, so…I am writing this post from my new studio apartment, located less than a mile from the Penn campus! So far, I love Philly, even though it is … Continue reading New semester, new city
“If we are facing in the right direction, all we need to do is keep walking.” Buddhist Proverb México I was born and raised in Mérida, Yucatán. I finished high school and started studying business administration in my hometown. In my second year of studies, as I went along with a “normal life” in my social context, I realized that I was facing the wrong … Continue reading Ricardo’s Road to Penn
My background My path to IEDP was a bit unconventional. For one thing, my undergraduate degree was in classical music. For another, I received that degree twenty years ago. It was a winding road that brought me here, but I couldn’t be happier with my decision. For the past fifteen years I’ve worked in standardized test prep, both as a teacher and teacher trainer. I … Continue reading A long and winding road
