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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:
Virtual International Internships '20-'21
133 students, 22 nationalities, 23 universities, 24 projects!
12 months of hard work, sharing and dedication – classes of 2020 and 2021
International universities
Brazilian universities
introduction
In 2020, just like everyone else, Campus b had to adapt to the ‘new normal’ that enveloped our world, and we used this as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves.
After many discussions and a lot of teamwork, we adapted our Summer Internship Program to a virtual format, as a way of fulfilling our purpose to go beyond and rethinking the ways in which students can have international experiences, which we believe go beyond physically crossing borders. In partnership with the Brazilian university Insper, we began to offer a 9-week virtual internship program, where interns have the opportunity to work in multicultural groups, alongside Brazilian students and experienced professionals in renowned organizations.
"If I could put the experience in two words, they would be fun and growth. The program was structured beautifully so that we as students could participate in a variety of fun Brazilian activities while developing our professional skills at the same time. I got to learn how to have a conversation in Portuguese, I was introduced to a variety of people from all over the world, and I got to learn about Brazilian music and history. Although I wasn’t actually able to visit Sao Paulo, I feel like CampusB did an amazing job of bringing the experience to me. It was a summer that I will not soon forget. I am grateful for everything and everybody who participated, and I look forward to visiting Brazil very soon."
Eric Gardea
Summer 2020, Internship Project with LACE Engenharia
The Projects
Interns have the opportunity to engage in real projects with these organizations, working under a dedicated supervisor who supports the group’s development throughout the program. Given that students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, with different majors and experiences, organizations are able to present multidisciplinary projects, which not only allow students to further develop their area of expertise, but also challenge them to learn about fields that they are less familiar with. In addition to having the opportunity to directly work with their ‘clients, students also are able to participate in mentoring sessions hosted by a Campus b academic coordinator, who supports them in developing their projects with supplemental project management tools and theoretical insight.
Portuguese class, Summer 2020
Furthermore, in order to foster greater cultural awareness and competency, students partake in sessions that contextualize the economic market in Brazil and Brazilian culture in general, where they can learn about topics ranging from the Portuguese language to the many biomes characterizing Brazil’s massive and diverse terrain. These sessions, in particular, allow students to engage in meaningful, healthy, and productive discussions. These cultural sessions were developed in order to help break down the ‘virtual barrier’ and promote the integration of students. While they are learning about Brazil, it is also an opportunity to meet and share knowledge about their own customs and help them grow into global citizens.
Although successfully translating these international experiences into the virtual realm has been immensely exciting for us, perhaps the most incredible part of this new normal has been the way in which the lack of physical limitations has allowed us to expand our borders and go beyond. As a result, we have been able to offer scholarships to local students from all regions of Brazil, providing them the opportunity to have an international experience – just as engaging and enriching as traditional programs – without ever leaving their home. We believe that the cornerstone to building quality educational programs is ensuring that all students have the opportunity and ability to participate.
Fall Virtual Internship Program, 2020
In the past 12 months, we have received 133 students, of 22 nationalities, from different parts of the world, starting in Brazil, passing through the United States, Spain and all the way to China.
In June 2020, we received the first group of students and, despite the difficulties and challenges of entering into this uncharted territory, we were surprised with the participation, engagement, and dedication of the students. The final results could not have been better, as students exceeded expectations with the deliverables that they produced! Some students were even invited by the organizations to extend their internship beyond the 9 weeks of the program.
After this successful edition of the program and knowing that, even when conducted virtually, the experience had the same value and result as an onsite program, we decided to continue with this format and opened a new class for the Fall Internship Program—this time with an even larger group of students!
Spring Internship 2021
"All in all, looking back at the two months of grinding computer codes, I find that I was able to learn a lot about programming as well as the Brazilian work environment through self-learning and discussing with peers. I was not only able to gain a better understanding of concepts in aviation, but also enhance my language skills through the excellent classes of Portuguese hosted by Campus B and the Brazilian market through Insper’s lessons. This experience helped me realize the importance of computer science in engineering and compelled me to enroll in multiple CS courses in college. The friendships that I made through conversations about cultures helped shape my journey in these two months. I feel that the constant support of Campus B amplified this exposure. The whole internship experience was rewarding. I enjoyed every aspect of the program and will certainly capitalize on other such opportunities offered by Campus B."
Srihari Balaji
Fall 2020, Internship Project with Azul Linhas Aéreas
In early 2021, we received our third group, for the Spring Internship Program, again with new challenges and an excellent group of dedicated students willing to take on this opportunity!
One of the projects was done in partnership with Litro de Luz, a non-profit organization that aims to provide a source of light for regions in Brazil without access to electricity. The team was tasked with creating a fundraising campaign that would allow the organization to further extend its reach and continue fulfilling its mission to break down socioeconomic and geographic barriers to electricity. Projects such as these allow students to see how the business and organizational principles they learn in school can be used to do good in the world.
Summer Virtual Internship Program, 2021
Between June and August 2021, we welcomed a new group of students, this time for the second edition of the Summer Virtual Internship Program.
This time around, it was our biggest and most diverse edition yet, with 38 students from 20 universities, 7 nationalities, working on 8 different projects.
"In a virtual format, I think I got a great experience, especially the cultural exposure. While I learned a lot about working on an implementable project with a company as a consulting team, I enjoyed learning about each other's cultures. Working in and leading a diverse team was a great opportunity to prepare myself as an aware citizen. The company meetings gave me some idea of the professional expectations for team projects and consulting. It helped me explore a topic (economics), even with less economics background."
Riddhi Singhania
Summer 2021, Internship Project with Americanas S.A.
"The virtual internship program with campus b and its partner schools was a great way to keep the connection of students with international activities and an experience in the market. We believe that it opened the students to a different kind of experience that helped them to understand that the world has really changed and it’s possible to work and study anywhere in the world with great value for all the parts involved."
Ana Carolina Oliveira de SouzaInternational Relations Department INSPER 
“International Programs in Engineering has been working with Campusb for over five years. Pre-pandemic, IPENG worked with Campusb on our faculty-led programming where they would help us facilitate not only educational rich programs, but culturally rich as well. This has been important to us in our programming at the Grainger College of Engineering at Illinois. Once COVID hit, we started offering Campusb’s virtual internship program which is an excellent mix of professional opportunities and cultural learning. They are incredibly supportive of all the students in their programs and offer strong placements for not only our Engineering students, but other students as well.”
Hannah DoughertyAcademic Advisor & Coordinator of International Programs - UIUC The Grainger College of Engineering 
We are very grateful to all our partners, Insper and the organizations, who also accept the challenge and invite students to work on their projects so that they may offer different perspectives and solutions while growing during the process, both professionally and personally.
We are very proud to be part of this stage in the development of the future leaders of the world and we wish all these students every success in their next journeys!
Written by:
Gabriela Vanzelli
Campus b Team
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