CWS Identified Internships

Rubisadt Foundation, a non-profit association launched in 2000 by Doctor Florence Tobo Lobe, a scientist, a former senior lecturer and an independent researcher. A Wellesley College alumna class of 1969, Dr. Lobe holds a PH.D in organic chemistry from Paris XI University (Orsay). Dr. Lobe is a native of Cameroon where she dedicates herself in promoting girls’ interest in science & technology education.

The Rubisadt Foundation provides talented, high school age African girls with supplementary schooling and training with an emphasis on Science and Technology. Rubisadt’s teaching team is trained in “new” (western) methods and didactics to enhance the process of learning. Specifically, we encourage reasoning instead of copying, decision making instead of following, and students who are seeking to make a contribution. This pedagogy is particularly useful for helping girls successfully develop their skills in the pursuit of college level education, both locally and abroad. Rubisadt prepares its students to compete for jobs and projects in S&T implementation.

The target groups Rubisadt serves are young girls, 12 to 19 years, who are presently attending high school, displaying good performance and analytical ability, and a keen interest in science and technology. Additionally, we look for active parental participation (written commitment, attendance at monthly meetings, supporting study time and engaging in ongoing supportive dialogue with their daughters and the leadership program). Rubisadt offers supplementary education, as well as, other resources in order to reduce early drop-out rate from school and help girls build self-esteem, self assessment, and self learning.

To date, Rubisadt has trained and mentored over a hundred young girls with outstanding results locally as well as internationally. The most brilliant ones were accepted abroad at HEC and ESSEC (Paris), as well as Medical Schools in Cameroon, Yaounde’s ICAC, Benin, Mali, Management in Tunisia, and IUFM de Créteil (France).

Rubisadt’s belief is that the development of Cameroon will be achieved only when the gender inequality in access to education is removed. This equality will be accomplished when the majority of the population (women) will quantitatively and qualitatively be present in all the disciplines and cycles of educational attainment.

Internship Description:

After the intern is selected, she will outline for the foundation which fields interest her, which training levels she has and in which ways she wants to contribute, so that she will be able to lead both scientific and laboratory tasks upon her arrival in Cameroon. She will also help propose working didactic laboratory tools and working models from local material as well as/ or from rehabilitated waste products, stressing their application here.

The intern may also do research on the efficiency of the didactic tools, simulation games and new methods to be used here in regards to their local application. The intern will be also asked to report on the education gap and how this inhibits students’ understanding of scientific concepts.

Ideal Internship Qualification: