The second annual Aiducatius Creativity Internship has just wrapped in The Gambia, bringing together eight members of the Educatius community­ from alumni and host parents to staff and educators-for a two-week experience that combines international education with meaningful impact.

Each intern earned their place through a competitive application process based on creativity, values, and purpose. Their destination: St. Martin’s School in Kartong, a rural Gambian school where Educatius, through its nonprofit arm Aiducatius, has funded access to education since 2009.

At the school, the interns led creative workshops in art, storytelling, and drama, culminating in rehearsals for an original play written by an art teacher at an Educatius partner high school. They also worked shoulder-to-shoulder with students and community members to repaint a school building, built a local library stocked with donated books, and organized a beach clean-up that fed into a local recycling art project.

Their time extended beyond the classroom: the team participated in a Walk for Health, distributed hygiene kits donated by SPAR Norway to local women, visited the historic site of Kunta Kinteh, and learned to cook Gambian food with a local family.

Throughout it all, the group shared meals, laughs, challenges, and new traditions-forming what they described as their “Gambia family.”

“This experience pushed me outside my comfort zone and came with lessons-humbling and empowering,” said Ana Rodriguez, a Student Experience Advisor from the USA. “I’m leaving with a fuller heart and a stronger sense of self.”

“Just spending time with the students at St. Martin’s School was something I’ll never forget,” said Sylvi Jones, an Educatius alumna who joined as a student intern. “They were always welcoming and grateful just for our presence.”
The internship is one of several ways Educatius activates its mission beyond traditional programs via Aiducatius. By opening the internship each year to students, staff, host families, and school partners, the organization connects its global reach with direct, community-based action.

“This internship is one of the clearest expressions of who Educatius is,” said Carla Kearns, Vice President of Communications. “It turns our values into action.”

Applications for the 2026 Aiducatius Creativity Internship will open next year and will accept applications from Educatius students, alumni, teachers, LCs, host family members and staff.