Freeplay Foundation - Gillian Javetski

Gillian Javetski

Gillian.Javetski@tufts.edu

Major / fields of study: International Relations & Community Health

Tufts program & expected graduate year: School of Arts and Sciences, Class of 2011

Interning at the London-based NGO Freeplay Foundation from June 15th to August 7th, 2009. Provided assistance to their Communications Department.

For my internship at the Freeplay Foundation, I worked under the Foundation’s Communications Director. I was in charge of researching grants, writing and designing the Foundation’s website, conducting interviews, writing articles and newsletters, and expanding the Foundation’s online presence. I also helped design and launch a high school ambassador program with my two fellow EMPOWER interns, Michelle Liu and Emily Freedman.

I first became involved with the IGL by joining last year’s EPIIC Colloquium on Global Cities. Through EPIIC, I had the opportunity to research what efforts the Ethiopian government is taking to help reduce poverty in coffee farming communities. In Ethiopia, I discovered the value that Social Entrepreneurs like Freeplay Foundation can have in providing more options for the poor. As an international relations and community health major, I’m really interested in learning where development studies and global health intersect, and would like to pursue these issues in the future.

From a learning point of view, the highlight was definitely recognizing what such a small NGO (there are only four staff members, including the CEO) can accomplish; despite their size, it’s incredible the impact that they have had for millions of people. From an experiential point of view, my own personal highlight was recognizing how much I could accomplish as a member of such a small team. It really was a great internship because no one was stuck doing busy work. Everyone’s efforts made a difference.