Name: Cultural Vistas
Brand: Cultural Vistas
SKU: 16659
Rating: 6.71 (7 reviews)

Alliance for International Exchange


<p><br></p><div class="awesome-image right-aligned" style="width:373px"><img src="http://cdn4.goabroad.com/images/interviews/interview-photo-carrie-niesen-1412235162.jpg" alt="Carrie (bottom right corner) with her coworkers at a nonprofit in C&oacute;rdoba, Argentina."><div class="caption">Carrie (bottom right corner) with her coworkers at a nonprofit in C&oacute;rdoba, Argentina.</div></div><h3><b>Why did you choose to intern abroad?</b></h3>
<p>I chose to intern abroad for a number of reasons. I felt as though I plateaued with my Spanish beyond the classroom (I'd already studied abroad once) and I wanted to challenge myself in a professional setting. Interning abroad seemed like the obvious next step, and I knew I could get six credits for the eight week experience. It worked out well because while it was all in Spanish, the organization I was placed at and the work I did coincided well with my second major, Communication Studies.</p>
<h3><b>What made you choose Cultural Vistas as your provider?</b></h3>
<p>To be completely frank, I had no idea what I was doing in finding a provider. All I knew is I wanted to go to Argentina after having studied in Spain, and I knew I wanted to do an internship. Since my university didn't have an internship abroad program nor an official designated study abroad advisor to guide me, I just had trusty Google (this was in 2007).</p>
<p>I chose CDS International (which is now Cultural Vistas) because they have a program in Argentina, they said they'd match you with a placement based on your skills and goals, and my Spanish professors were familiar with it. Despite me being in Minnesota and CDS being in New York City, I felt comfortable moving forward with them remotely because my professors had heard of them.</p>
<h3><b>What was the most unusual experience you had during your internship?</b></h3>
<p>At the time, I probably would have told you every day was an unusual experience, from accidentally ordering <i>puchero</i> for lunch and making my co-workers laugh hysterically at me, to daily fights with the Windows 98 computers that I learned to just roll with (even though it was in 2007, that was still ancient technology), or having my coworkers coddle me as I came in with wet hair everyday and not wearing a scarf (the horror!!!).</p>
<h3><b>What about the most unique part?</b></h3>
<p>The most unique would have to be a partnership breakthrough. Part of my job was to establish the initial step in building relationships with similar organizations in English speaking countries for grant project based work. One of those partnerships resulted in great exposure for the organization by getting their name on a United Nations conference website. I also had a few photos published in the local paper, <i>La Voz del Interior</i>.</p>
<h3><b>What was the biggest challenge you faced in your internship placement?</b></h3>
<p>The biggest challenge was managing expectations. My only context of "intern" was typically a green person working long hours, sometimes doing menial work, and gaining valuable insight to their desired career field. What I didn't realize is that definition varies greatly among cultures, and sometimes doesn't even exist. People in Argentina typically don't work unless they get paid, so having an unpaid intern is a novel concept.</p>
<p>I was the first intern to be with my organization, and at times it was obvious they weren't sure of what to do with me. While I'd planned on devoting the majority of my time to the organization, they were concerned with overworking me and cut a lot of my hours. I didn't learn this until I was on site during my cultural orientation, and would have appreciated knowing that earlier on so I could have planned accordingly with my provider.</p>
<h3><b>What are the things you miss the most from Cordoba? Argentina in general?</b></h3>
<p>I miss the artisan markets and living next door to a tango bar (and of course my co-workers!). There was a great market every weekend steps from my homestay called <i>Paseo de las Artes </i>(they now have their own Facebook page) and I loved seeing the new merchants, learning about the history and culture while I shopped, and inhaling the scents of cooking empanadas from the various food stalls throughout. Tango is such an Argentine staple and I felt lucky that each time I left my house at night, I got to hear the soulful, romantic music and nearly had my own free show as I peered into the windows passing by.</p>
<h3><b>What lessons or things did you learn while interacting with the locals?</b></h3>
<p>The biggest lesson I learned was Argentineans really care for one another. They value their relationships much more than making money, being productive at work, or being defined by their job titles. Once you're connected to them in some shape or fashion, they're generous, loving, and welcome to a fault. It was a huge cultural shift compared to the busy go go go lifestyle in the US, and it was a refreshingly welcome one that I strive to live by on a daily basis.</p>
<h3><b>Would you recommend the program to others?</b></h3>
<p>I would recommend this program to others, as long as they're clear about what they want in terms of workload, desired experience/responsibilities, and I'd recommend working with an already established internship placement. While I had some hiccups and misunderstandings, I did get an excellent homestay location in my preferred neighborhood and was connected to a fantastic alumni of the program to answer my pre-departure questions (and we're still friends to this day!).</p>
<h3><b>What important tips can you give to future participants of the program?</b></h3>
<p>I would do your research, be prepared, and ask lots of questions. Be specific about what experience you'd like to gain and communicate that clearly early on in your application as well as throughout the process. Ask to be connected to an alumni that was in your same city, ask how you can connect with other participants on site, and ask how they'd recommend you connect with locals. I didn't have nearly as many resources then as there are available now (Facebook didn't exist in Argentina in 2007, for example) to get an idea of where I was going and what I could do in my free time when I wasn't interning.</p>
<h3><b>Did you experience reverse culture shock upon re-entry? How did interning abroad affect your life after your program?</b></h3>
<p>I absolutely experienced it upon re-entry. I was in Argentina during their winter and Minnesota's summer, so it was fantastic to feel warmth and sunshine again, but I was out of sorts for weeks. I didn't have any re-entry counseling or guide about how to process nor communicate my experience so I just jumped back into a routine and started my senior year of college.</p>
<p>Since my Spanish fluency reached new heights, I was constantly searching for opportunities to practice it and volunteered with a non-profit assisting new immigrants from Spanish speaking countries transition to life in small town Minnesota. The biggest takeaway from interning abroad was I wanted to assist students have similar experiences and help them incorporate it into their goals for their global lifestyle.</p>


Carrie Herrera Niesen

Check out this GoAbroad Interview with Carrie Herrera Niesen who participated in Cultural Vistas program.

Carrie Herrera Niesen | Cultural Vistas Alumni Interview

Carrie (bottom right corner) with her coworkers at a nonprofit in Córdoba, Argentina.

Carrie Herrera Niesen - 2007 Program Participant


<p class="p1"></p><div class="awesome-image centered" style=""><img style="" src="http://cdn4.goabroad.com/images/interviews/interviewphoto1-noyes-1428485946.jpg" alt="







Students in Cologne, Germany"><div class="caption"><p>The group on their last night together at the end of the language school phase in Cologne - The K&ouml;lner Dom, in the background, is where they would all meet every Wednesday night to catch up and practice their German together.</p></div></div><h3><span style="line-height: 24px;">What attracted you to&nbsp;the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program for Young Professionals (CBYX)?</span></h3>
<p class="p1">When I learned about this program it was near graduation and it seemed to provide everything I was looking for: experience in real-world business (preferably international), the opportunity to continue learning German and/or French, and a way back to Europe. I don't think I have ever put so much time and effort into applying for something as I did for this fellowship program. At a time when I was lost and stressed about my future, I felt as though this opportunity was meant to be and I had to give it my best effort.<span style="line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<h3>What kind of background did you have in the German language before attending?</h3>
<p class="p1">I had minored in French and spent five months living in a small town in France with a young man from Austria, who gave me my first taste of the German language. When I returned from my initial study abroad program, I was ready for a new challenge in languages and decided to take a beginning German class in my final semester of college. When I arrived in Germany, I only had the basics I had learned from German 100, the vocabulary I had picked up from listening to German music, and a bit of Rosetta Stone.</p>
<h3>What was the best part about having an internship included as a part of the program?</h3>
<p class="p1">The internship phase of the program took my experience to the next level and gave the program a more &ldquo;young professional&rdquo; feel than normal study abroad. I was constantly learning new vocabulary that I could immediately apply and retain on a more constant and permanent basis. My internship was also ideal because it allowed me to work, not only along side my German colleagues, but also with groups of people from around the world.</p>
<p class="p1">Being able to add work experience in a foreign language to my resume is a huge advantage I have over my peers in the job market.</p><div class="awesome-image centered" style=""><img style="" src="http://cdn2.goabroad.com/images/interviews/interviewphoto2-noyes-1428486212.jpg" alt="







Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany"><div class="caption"><p>Experiencing the biggest beer festival in the world: Oktoberfest, Munich</p></div></div>
<h3>What were your housing arrangements like in Germany?</h3>
<p class="p1">For the first two months during intensive language school, I lived with a host family. It was just me and my host mom, which gave us good time to get to know one another and it was very helpful in learning the language more quickly. For the rest of the ten months of the program, I lived in an international dorm at the university where I completed the study phase of the program. I was initially disappointed to not be living with another host family, as this is a huge part of learning about another culture. However, I made so many friends from all over the world and got to live among more than just one culture, which proved to be very beneficial and well-aligned with my interests and career goals.</p>
<h3>Describe a day in the life of your program.</h3>
<p class="p1">The yearlong program was comprised of two months of intensive language school, four months of study at a university or technical school, and finished with a five-month internship.<span style="line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1">During language school, we had class four to five hours a day, five days a week. The rest of the time I spent exploring the city of Cologne or traveling on weekends. Throughout the four-month study phase, I found myself with a lot more time on my hands and would use that to complete volunteer hours, meet up with my language partner, or hang out with new friends.</p>
<p class="p1">For the last five months of the program, my internship took most of my time. I had an hour and a half commute to and from work, so I spent a lot of time reading or sleeping on the train. I worked for a small organization that put on international volunteer work camps. When I wasn&rsquo;t in the office translating applications and camp descriptions, or helping to plan and organize seminars, I was actually leading the camps and getting hands-on experience in the field.<span style="line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="p1"></p><div class="awesome-image centered" style=""><img style="" src="http://cdn4.goabroad.com/images/interviews/interviewphoto3-noyes-1428486249.jpg" alt="







Volunteers doing a team building exercise in Bavaria Germany"><div class="caption"><p>Dawn laughing with her first volunteer work camp group - this is what world peace looks like: 11 different nations coming together to enjoy a &ldquo;belly-bunch&rdquo; in the beautiful hills of Bavaria, Germany.</p></div></div><h3><span style="line-height: 24px;">What did you enjoy doing on your free time?</span></h3>
<p class="p1">Hiking and traveling were my favorite things to do when I had time. I lived near the Black Forest for the majority of the program, so I could easily jump on a train and go 20 minutes away, or three hours away, and still be among some of the most beautiful landscape I&rsquo;ve seen, outside of Colorado. I also had a small group of three other friends that were in the program with me. We made a point of meeting up as often as possible and even did a few road-trips together throughout the year.</p>
<h3>What is the most memorable experience you have from your time in Germany?<span style="line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;</span></h3>
<p class="p1">My first volunteer camp that I led for my internship has been the most memorable and impactful experience from my time in Germany. For three weeks, I lived among and co-lead 11 other young people from around the world. We worked, slept, cooked, cleaned, partied, traveled, and learned alongside each other while helping to give back to a tiny German village that welcomed us and went above and beyond to accommodate all of our needs.</p>
<p class="p1">It was amazing and inspiring to see some of the participants go from very little English and no German skills, to being the most talkative ones of the group by the end of just three weeks. The friendships formed in such a short time have proved to be some of the most meaningful I&rsquo;ve made.</p>
<p class="p1">When you bring 11 different nationalities together, the learning and teaching is endless, and the value of those kinds of interactions is priceless.<span style="line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<h3>What makes this program special?</h3>
<p class="p1">The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals is a program that promotes diversity among the selected participants. The selection criteria is based more on a mutually beneficial experience for the participants, as well as new and existing international relationships. The cultural learning begins when all 75 participants come together from across the entire nation. I found my learning and understanding of German culture was significantly enhanced by comparing and contrasting the perspectives of my fellow American peers. I also gained a new understanding in regards to the diverse cultures and subcultures that exist in the U.S., and saw how those can affect both the way in which the world sees our nation, and also how my view of the world is influenced by my small-town subculture.<span style="line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="p1"></p><div class="awesome-image centered" style=""><img style="" src="http://cdn2.goabroad.com/images/interviews/interviewphoto4-noyes-1428486455.jpg" alt="







Visiting the Austrian Alps"><div class="caption"><p>Dawn and her &ldquo;crew&rdquo; of now life-long friends taking in the crisp air of the Austrian Alps on their last road-trip together</p></div></div><h3><span style="line-height: 24px;">What was the biggest challenge you faced abroad?</span><span style="line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;</span></h3>
<p class="p1">My biggest challenge came from emotional disconnect, both with the new environment around me and my friends and family back home. It is true that making friends within the German culture is difficult and my time living in an international dorm, where there were only a handful of Germans, made that even more difficult. I found myself frustrated by the fact that I couldn&rsquo;t simply walk up to a group of friendly-looking people and make small talk and instantly have a &ldquo;friend&rdquo; like here in the U.S. I did learn, however, that when you finally make friends with a German, they are loyal and one of the truest friends you can have.</p>
<p class="p1">In regards to staying connected to home, I found it very emotionally draining. You tend to think that time stops while you&rsquo;re away, but everyone at home is continuing with their lives just as you are with yours, except that yours is in a different country. I struggled to explain things to those back in the States. Words never quite seemed to do justice to those magical travel experiences, and it all felt like too much boasting to go into too much detail anyway. I did my best not to let it get to me and discourage me from keeping in touch. I learned that true friends and family will always be there for me when I truly need it and distance didn&rsquo;t change that.</p>
<h3>What advice would you give to others interested in your program?</h3>
<p class="p1">Apply and reapply. You can apply as many times as you want within the age restrictions of 18 to 24. It is definitely a program that requires flexibility and self-motivation, but the experience and take-aways are well worth it.</p>
<p class="p1">This is an amazing program that has everything a yearlong, professional development fellowship should have. There are so many organizations and opportunities out there that offer work and study abroad, but this one provides a year, paid for, to learn from every angle of a culture.</p>


Dawn Noyes

Check out this GoAbroad Interview with Dawn Noyes who participated in Cultural Vistas program.

Dawn Noyes | Cultural Vistas Alumni Interview

Dawn Noyes - 2014 Program Participant

The Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship, hosted by Cultural Vistas, offers a transformative cultural and professional exchange experience in the United States aimed at empowering future leaders from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. This program is meticulously designed to enrich Fellows' understanding of American society and foster a mutual understanding between cultures.

This fellowship is ideal for emerging leaders with a solid professional background and a proven track record in community service or public administration. Applicants must currently be a Fulbright Foreign Student and must be currently studying towards a graduate degree at a U.S. college or university.

Joining the Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship provides not just an internship but a gateway to becoming a part of a global network of dedicated professionals poised to lead change in their communities. The fellowship is a stepping stone to expanding professional horizons while fostering significant cultural exchange.

Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Internship (US)

Cultural Vistas

Sales Wolves

Cultural Vistas was founded in 1963 with the mission to enrich minds, develop international skills, create careers, and connect people through international exchanges. This nonprofit exchange organization strives to create a common, global understanding of diversity and to bridge gaps of cultural differences. Cultural Vistas is based on integrity, collaboration, experiential learning, diversity, multiculturalism, innovation, and passion, and it hopes to incorporate these vales into all of its educational offerings. Offering internship and professional study opportunities to both American students abroad and to international students in the United States, Cultural Vistas serves more than 5,000 students in over 30 countries with year-round programs.

Cultural Vistas was founded in 1963 with the mission to enrich minds, develop international skills, create careers, and connect people through international exchanges. This nonprofit exchange organization strives to create a common, global understanding of diversity and to bridge gaps of cultural differences. Cultural Vistas is based on integrity, collaboration, experiential learning, diversity, m...

DO NOT WORK WITH CULTURAL VISTAS. WORK WITH INTRAX.

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Fuck you cultural vistas. Dogshit company. Hidden fee upon hidden fee, tardiness, lack of professionalism, incompetent employees, slow (both in response and mentally) agents. One sad excuse of a company.

Avoid Cultural Vistas

I cannot tell you how much you should avoid these folks. Unprofessional, disorganized, largely incompetent. And of course its all about the money. Forget about donations, charity, 501c3 and all that Garbage. This is a for profit company that is all about the Benjamins.

Music, book and product photography

Firstly, I have to say that I have an experience of 4 years in the music world as photographer. In Spain, I'm work with a press medium very important in my country.
But also, I have  experience making photos to products (food and clothing), and working with a lot of models.
However, I prefer you will see my portfolio in my website (https://alvarocarlier.com/), because by this way you can see my great job in the photography.

Awesome!

This program has far and away been the best thing I've ever participated in. It had everything I had asked for: good company, the opportunity to study and learn German, a chance to travel and visit historic locations and meet locals. I highly recommend this program.

Perfect balance of all things intercultural

The first two months of language classes provided a great base for getting to know the culture, the language and other people in my program. Living with a host family significantly improved my very basic level of German to a comfortable level of conversational German.

My the living situation for my permanent placement was not ideal because I had hoped to live with a host family again, not in an international dorm. However, the program emphasizes flexibility and I made the most of my situation. I made friends from across the globe and had plenty of independence and freedom.

My internship was perfect, as it gave me a great balance of German practice and immersion in a German workplace, while also giving me the experience to interact with plenty of international people in the volunteer work camps that I led.

Overall, EXCELLENT program to develop young professionalism and intercultural awareness!

Treasured Experience, Miscommunicated Expectations

Upon reflecting on my internship experience in 2007 with then CDS International (now Cultural Vistas), I learned a great deal and grew significantly as a global citizen of this world.  I'm very thankful for my experience as it helped me stand out as a graduate school applicant and it's a treasured experience I reflect on often.   While I enjoyed my homestay, loved the neighborhood I lived in, and appreciate that I'm still connected to my coworkers, I would have enjoyed my program more if the cultural differences about my internship would have been made known upfront.  I received a cultural orientation on site where it was clarified, but I wished I'd learned that before leaving.  I was expecting to gain a great deal of hands-on experience while working full time, but I was eventually cut down to four hours/day, M-Th.  It was clear I was the first intern to be with the organization as they didn't always have something for me to do and that was frustrating to navigate at times.  Expectations are difficult to manage for both parties when in an intercultural environment, but being more clear about positions and responsibilities would make for a more meaningful and fulfilling experience, both in and out of the internship assignment.

Experience of a lifetime.

My most memorable experience is when my host company for my internship took me to Berlin on a trade fair trip. I felt like more than an intern, i felt like i belonged.

So i could work abroad in Germany with a multi-national corporation. I wanted to improve my business German and practice the life skills i learned in the class room.

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