“I am not afraid of storms for I am
learning how to sail my ship.”
Louisa May Alcott
A key element of PCRIC’s mission in the region is to improve knowledge and access to disaster risk management and financing tools for Pacific Island countries, thereby enabling them to better deal with natural disasters and the impacts of climate change. Through the Internship Program, PCRIC has extended its reach to also include future leaders in learning and knowledge opportunities. In addition, Scholarships and Peer-to-Peer Learning are potential activities that will be undertaken by the company in the near future.
The internship program is conducted in three phases.
Phase 1: Training and Writing
Students will participate in a workshop providing an overview and background of PCRIC and the development globally of disaster risk pools for international development cooperation. Students who complete the workshop are then assessed. Those who pass the assessment with a 75% or more grading will be given a topic and guidelines to write a paper (around 10 pages in length) relating to disaster risk management and finance.
All interns who complete this paper by the set deadline have their papers reviewed and evaluated by the PCRIC CEO, Legal Advisor and a Board member. Students who authored the top 12 papers receive a cash prize and will be formally entered into the internship program.
Phase 2: Student Research and Cross-Disciplinary Presentations
The group of 12 students selected through the Phase 1 process will be divided into four teams of three individuals who have studied different disciplines, such as law, finance, natural science, communications, gender studies etc. Each team will be tasked with completing a research project which will subsequently be presented to the PCRIC Board of Directors. The team with the highest-rated presentation will receive a cash reward as well as a certificate of recognition for having made a contribution to this important body of knowledge for the Pacific region.
Phase 3: Part-Time Internship Work
Individuals who have clearly put in effort and made a significant contribution to Phase 2 research and presentations may then be considered for a working internship paid by PCRIC. These positions would support one or more PCRIC technical teams.