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Word Forest is an ambitious charity. As well as aiming high to mitigate our climate emergency, we’re also doing all we can to arm the leaders of the future with the information they need to make the best decisions possible.
We’ve been working with Dr Fiona Whitehouse, Head of the Internship Office at the University of Oxford for the past few years. It has been a pleasure to offer their undergraduates a chunky range of internship opportunities that they can really sink their teeth into. Inclusivity matters to Word Forest and we have been working with interns through the Crankstart Programme at Oxford. Crankstart is a scheme which offers enhanced opportunities to students from lower-income families.
Word Forest is a potential employer during what is a particularly challenging period for young undergraduates. Our CEO, Tracey West, explains: “We have a moral obligation to try to give young people a head start. It’s not difficult to take time out of your day to give a young person a helping hand in the workplace, help them understand how the Third Sector works, and guide them through what international development means day to day.”
Tracey made a short video testimonial for the Oxford University Careers Service team to put on their website (https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/internships) to encourage more engagement with interns and employers. We’re so chuffed with it, we thought we’d pop it on here too! Find out more by watching the short video below.
We have been delighted with the amazing talent the interns have provided over the years as they put their heads together to deliver projects and research, with some staying on board and continuing to work on projects on their own initiative. The interns come from a fantastic range of backgrounds and we are always eager to have students from different disciplines working collaboratively on group projects. To date, we have had students reading Law, Mathematics, Computer Science, Human Sciences, Forestry and Biology on board – each offering unique insights and perspectives to their projects. At Word Forest, we know that diversity and inclusivity are the foundation for creative success.
We are always excited to welcome new interns from Oxford; it’s a fantastic opportunity for us and for them. They will benefit through hands-on experience in the charity sector, working directly with reforestation programmes and fundraising strategies, while we will benefit from some fresh eyes and young energy to help us dig deeper with ongoing projects and ideas. As Tracey says: “The reason we put so much effort into embracing undergraduate interns at Word Forest is simple: they need exposure to real life work situations and by offering one, we benefit greatly from their input. Oxford interns bring such a lot of knowledge and ambition to the table.”
We look forward to welcoming our latest set of interns to the team and putting them through their paces while we offer them practical, sector-specific experience to advance their studies and careers.
We pride ourselves on always having the door open should they wish to continue their work with us in the future. After all, as Tracey explains: “The rewards are there for all to see and benefit from, in my opinion, and I’m very excited about the interns we had with us during the summer. It’s testimony to the good effort we put in before that they want to come back for another shot!”
Tracey and the Amazing Oxford Interns
