"Gratifying" may be the word for the summer.
I'm writing this note in the lobby of South College on the UMass Amherst campus. In the classroom next to me, Professor Paul Collins is addressing the topic "Is this the most Conservative Supreme Court in modern history?" (Spoiler alert -- yes). He is speaking to our Argentine Fulbright group; a program we have hosted since 2008.
This group of participants was originally selected during a series of seminars in Buenos Aires held in 2019. They were planning to come to UMass in the summer of 2020 but were stopped by COVID. It is very gratifying that they were still able to come and that we had worked closely with the Argentine Fulbright Commission to keep the program alive for two years.
We will also host, after a two-year gap, our SUSI Pakistan programs and our SUSI Global Student Leaders program. I cannot thank enough our partners and the State Department for the flexibility they have shown to keep these programs alive. Finally, we will be hosting, for the first time, a Mandela/Washington Fellowship Alumni Enrichment program. We will host more international visitors this summer than ever before. During the summer we will also continue running a virtual program for Pakistani Journalists that started in November 2021.
There have been challenges. Everything is both more scarce and more expensive. COVID has forced us to develop testing and quarantine protocols. But again, the University has been very helpful in providing us with all we need. The staff is hired, the first group is in, and the second group -- a cohort of 45 Pakistan college students -- arrives on June 4th. The band is indeed back together!
We will have a lot to talk about. Pandemics, war, political change, the emergence of right-wing nationalism, not to even mention the continuing climate crisis. It's a daunting list. Everyone and every country has changed because of the pandemic and we mourn the many dead.
It is my belief that these programs, by bringing people together for shared conversation and a deep exploration of different cultures can contribute, in a small way, to understanding and addressing such problems.
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Dr. Mike Hannahan
Director, Civic Initiative
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Welcome back, Kelsey!
We are happy to announce that Kelsey Derouen has returned to Civic! We last saw her in 2019 as a leader in our student mentor
Kelsey graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2018 with a degree in Political Science. She has been working with the UMass Amherst Civic Initiative since 2017 as a mentor, team leader, and program coordinator. In January 2019, she traveled to Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi to take part in alumni networking events in each city. Kelsey is currently preparing to return full-time to Civic following a two-year hiatus due to COVID.
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New Civic Podcast Serves Up Weekly "Chai and Coffee"!
SUSI Pakistan alum and journalist Nuaman Ishfaq Mughal and UMass Donahue Marketing Communications Manager Ken LeBlond are your hosts for our newest venture and first-ever podcast, "Chai and Coffee: U.S.- Pakistan Talks".
Starting in April and published each week, Nuaman and Ken talk to Pakistanis and Americans who've traveled to each other's countries. These are honest and open conversations that aim to break down stereotypes! We just had Mike Hannahan on and we'll talk to people from the Civic family and others. Each episode averages about 25-30 minutes.
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Celebrating 50 Years: UMass Donahue Institute
Founded in 1971 as the Institute for Governmental Services by former State Senate President Maurice A. Donahue, our "parent'" organization, the UMass Donahue Institute has grown to over 170 staff in Massachusetts, New England and across the U.S.
The institute today operates as a nonprofit consultancy in the fields of workforce development, democracy education, economic development, early childhood education training/technical assistance, organizational capacity building, applied research & evaluation and nonprofit organization fiscal advising.
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Alumni Spotlight - Fazil Saad
Pakistani Educators 2018
What have you been up to since the program?
Since returning from the United States in June 2018, I've worked as an educational consultant and lead trainer for a number of national and international nonprofit and government organizations, including the Provisional Institute for Teachers Education in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Save the Children International, Center for Economic Research in Pakistan, and the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan. Throughout this professional journey, I got the opportunity to interact and work with vulnerable communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan especially after the fall of the democratic government in Kabul last year. I've also published our findings in international journals.
What was the most influential experience you had while in the U.S. with the Civic Initiative?
I have numerous memories, but one that stands out is the privilege to visit both public and private schools in Massachusetts. At Springfield High School, I remember sitting back and observing a mathematics class. The teachers were extremely dedicated and used a variety of pedagogical techniques based on the students' learning styles. After class, we had a great conversation about how to engage a variety of students in the classroom.
If you could spend another day in Amherst, how would you spend it?
Although I have explored a lot of things throughout my stay, such as connecting with the Amherst community, participating in political debates with Dr. Mike, and learning about American culture. However, if I got an opportunity to spend a day, I would spend half of it learning about and discussing with experienced educational researchers how UMass Department of Education collaborates with public schools and what impact research outcomes have on teachers and educators. The other half of the day could be spent visiting the local community where we stayed and visiting the local mosque where we offered Eid prayer.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a person chosen to participate in this program?
Well, the Instruction Leadership summer exchange program was rich in learning and interacting with wonderful people, and it is without a doubt a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a school teacher. My advice to anyone who has the opportunity to participate is to take advantage of it and learn as much as they can from fellow participants and the Civic team.
What is next on your To-Do List?
I'm currently working remotely with Synergy Management Consultant on two research studies involving inclusive classroom practice, and we also have another assignment to complete, which is the Teacher Educators Master’s Program for Afghan Teachers, which is being carried out in collaboration with the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan. I also plan to get a doctorate in education in order to work for high-quality, equitable education.
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Staff Spotlight - Jesse Tucker
What have you been up to since the program?
My last work with the Civic initiative was the summer of 2019. I spent three weeks with the Argentinian Fulbright group and six weeks leading my third Pakistan SUSI group.
Since then I've been to Columbia, Puerto Rico, Quebec, Baltimore, San Diego, and San Francisco. Sometime later, I got a nice job at a small company where I managed client projects relating to pharmaceutical sales rep training. I worked there for only nine months and it remains some of the most challenging and hardest work I've ever done. In February 2021, an old boss and friend of mine asked me to come back full time to work for Harvard Medical School's postgraduate medical education certificate programs where I coordinate all aspects of the training to teachers and faculty development programs. Fortunately, I find myself working with doctors from all over the world and I feel privileged to continue working in the realm of international education.
What is your favorite Civic memory?
it's difficult to share only one memory, there are so many. In the summer of 2018, I remember there were three concurrent programs. It was the night of my birthday and beautiful weather out, so everyone was out and about in downtown Amherst. I had a huge crowd of civic staff and participants there to celebrate and dance with. It was always lovely to watch everyone from across programs interact and learn from one another.
What do you miss most about working with the Civic Initiative?
What I miss most about Civic is threefold:
- Watching faces light up as participants see parts of the United States they've been so excited for.
- Having insightful and engaging conversations on the geopolitics of South Asia.
- The camaraderie and relationships I made with all of the Civic staff.
What advice would you give a first-time Civic Fellow on their first day?
To a first-time Civic staff member, my advice is this - for as much responsibility you have to mentor 30 people, always keep in mind you have just as much to learn from them.
What is next on your To-Do list?
Not much as of right now. I just want to keep living the city life in Boston and enjoy my twenties while I've got them. The last couple of years serves as a good reminder not to take simple things for granted.
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