The NGO practicum is a course that prepares students to engage with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the field. It will introduce students to several important tools necessary to be reflective and responsible agents of social change. The course includes a series of preparatory sessions, which may include lectures, workshops, visits, and individual research assignments, followed by a period of overseas fieldwork in which students will collaborate with local NGOs to help create various project management tools or media projects.
This course explores the role of the third or non-profit sector in French society. This field frequently referredd to as “économie sociales et solidaire” employs over 2,3 million people and accounts for 10% of the workforce in France. In this course students will be introduced to the four distinct components of the social economy in France, the associative sector, the cooperative sector, the banking sector and the mutualist sector. Through visitss to various actors in the field, students will learn more about the importance of social capital and the public sphere for democracy. The practicum provide students will the tools and knowledge on how to start their own non-profit in France and enables them to situate their own professional projects within a national and international context.