Summer Internship Series

Brittney Davidson (MPA 2014)
UNICEF
New York

My Organization: This summer, I was hired to work within UNICEF’s Education Sector. Currently, UNICEF is working with the rest of the UN to develop a mid-term strategy plan. The 2015 agenda is coming to a close, so the organization is evaluating results, re-prioritizing, and strategizing for post-2015.

My Role: Inclusive education has moved to the top of UNICEF’s agenda. Their recent 2013 State of the World’s Children Report highlighted the inequities that children with disabilities face in receiving a quality education. This is particularly important because in many developing countries, or in countries affected by conflict, there exists a disproportionately high number of children with disabilities. My job was to 1) Analyze Country Office reports to evaluate what UNICEF had done thus far in regard to inclusive education, and to research whether those efforts had been successful, 2) Research education programs that other non-UN organizations were pursuing to compile a database of best practices to inform the post-2015 education agenda, and 3) Uncover and analyze innovations for education worldwide.

I enjoyed…: I was given a lot of responsibility and autonomy. Therefore, I was able to pursue a lot of opportunities within the project. For example, I was able to conduct interviews with top-level people at Save the Children, USAID, and Perkins International.

I didn’t really enjoy…: Being stuck at a desk all day. I know this is typical for many jobs, but due to the bureaucracy of the UN system, I could often feel siloed. Also, while having independence was great, I think I would have been able to grow more with more feedback. My unit was very busy this summer, and managers often left for vacation or work abroad, leaving me without much guidance.