Smile Africa Onlus has an agreement with the University of Padua and Rovigo and the University of Ferrara for internships aimed at students in Italy and in the foreign countries in which Smile Africa carries out its own volunteering projects. The internship, which is officially included in the students' academic curriculum, is based on the collaboration between a tutor and a trained volunteer who support the student in the planning and implementation of the project; we start from concrete situations that become not only the object of in-depth study and research but also of fieldwork through which the student can test his/her knowledge and skills, as well as his/her resources and limits.
This experience requires the student to spend a period for a minimum of one month and by up to three months in a foreign country or in Italy, with the presence sometimes for the whole period, sometimes only partially, of the trained volunteer who supports him/her in the realization of the project. The activities, depending on the university course, are usually held in schools or in reception centres for abandoned or orphaned children where the trainee observes, participates and acts alongside local operators during educational activities aimed at children and young people; the student lives daily the reality of the local territory and its problems such as the poverty that affects the population, but also the authenticity, serenity, and spontaneity of human relationships.
At the end of the internship, the student will evaluate the experience together with those who participated and supported the internship project (Tutor), in order to understand the value of what has been learned and what has been acquired in terms of human competence and experience: this is the moment of reflection, awareness, and confrontation that will result in an important professional and personal growth. Finally, a detailed report on the objectives achieved and a merit assessment of the topics covered will be issued to the student and to the university. This report will be finally integrated with a certificate for the recognition of the internship and the academic credits.