Program Reviews

I recently completed GVI’s Ethics in Sustainable Development online course.

I think what was probably most beneficial about it for me was how it helped me with my career choices.

I don’t think this course is just for people who’re interested in sustainable development or the ethics of it, but probably anyone who isn’t satisfied with settling for an average 9-to-5.

Many of us want to do work that actually makes the world a better place. But we don’t reflect on it. We just make assumptions about what kinds of jobs will help you make a positive impact. Our thinking might be too narrow, like “I have to work for a charity or non-profit” or “I have to be a doctor”. Or we might also make assumptions about international development work that are actually quite harmful. (You’ll learn all about this in the course).

In the final assignment you do your own research about organisations you’d like to work for and make your own career choices. The coursework prepares you for this final project.

What made my particular experience pretty interesting (and I hope you’re as lucky) is that the students were from all over the world and had different backgrounds and interests. There were people who were students and people who had been working for 20 years. There were people from Europe, Central America, and me, from Africa. I connected with people I would not have met otherwise. Some of us even connected on LinkedIn afterwards.

Also I should say I was first drawn to the course because I majored in philosophy and currently work in digital marketing and the instructor for this course, Rosie Urbanovich, has a similar background. I thought it would be interesting to learn about her career and it was. Also whenever someone was interested in a specific subject she was always helpful in helping them explore that path.

I participated in the GVI Human Rights and Advocacy online short course. It exceeded my expectations. I learnt a lot about the United Nations role in advocating for human rights around the world, gained a better understanding of the politics, langugage and legal processes of human rights, and became more familiar with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and what it truly represents.

This course is a great foundation for anyone passionate about this subject or seeking to develop their knowledge and skills to pursue a career in advocacy. The course provided me with a better understanding of the origins and complexity of human rights and advocacy and I would highly recommend this course to others. It's beneficial for furthering both personal and professional development.

The materials were highly engaging and well thought-out and our course instructor was extremely knowledgeable. She facilitated deeply thought-provoking and inspiring discussions that were attended by participants from around the world, including the US, Ireland and South Africa.

I participated in the GVI Human Rights and Advocacy online short course. It exceeded my expectations. I learnt a lot about the United Nations role in advocating for human rights around the world, gained a better understanding of the politics, langugage and legal processes of human rights, and became more familiar with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and what it truly represents.

This course is a great foundation for anyone passionate about this subject or seeking to develop their knowledge and skills to pursue a career in advocacy. The course provided me with a better understanding of the origins and complexity of human rights and advocacy and I would highly recommend this course to others. It's beneficial for furthering both personal and professional development.

The materials were highly engaging and well thought-out and our course instructor was extremely knowledgeable. She facilitated deeply thought-provoking and inspiring discussions that were attended by participants from around the world, including the US, Ireland and South Africa.

I took part in the Impact Measurement GVI Online Course. It was a great experience and very interesting to learn about the different methods that can be used to measure an organisation’s social and environmental impact. Beth, our instructor, was so nice and you could tell she really knew her stuff when it came to impact measurement. It was great to meet the other participants and see how invested they all were in doing the course and in the field of sustainability as a career. Having worked for corporates, social enterprises and NGO’s I found the course material very interesting, having that comparison between how different organisations prioritise, or don’t, making an impact and their motivations for measuring impact. I would recommend the course to anyone wanting to do an online course, as a way to support their current studies or to further broaden their skillset in their career development.

On July 20 I participated in the Introduction to Marine and Wildlife Conservation course which I found to be a very informative and enriching experience. The instructor is highly knowledgeable and experienced on this topic. The materials given and the approach to the different case studies enlightened me on the different approaches to marine and wildlife conservation world wide, demonstrating the similarity in problems and the different approaches in management. I also found the interaction through the discussion board with the other participants an interesting way to connect with different people on different levels and be able learn through a simple idea sharing forum.
I am a oceanographer by profession and have been the program manager for GVI's marine conservation and community development program since 2018 and can honestly state that this program allows any participant to get a first taste of what marine and wildlife conservation is and either opens up a new path for you or strengthens the commitment you already had.
Highly recommend it.

I was part of the Global Health course and I found the course very inspirational to join the fight of the health issues globaly. I learnt about other cultures and their aproach to survive and create a healthier life using their resources either vast or limited. The examples of Rwanda and India were very interesting to read and watch under the guidance of a well experienced instructor Lindi.
This course gave me excellent perspectives of other ways of lives beyond my own, and it made me more open to ideas I never even considered.

I recently completed online courses with GVI having previously interned and volunteered on the Limpopo base before with plans to return the content of the courses tied in well to skills and knowledge learned in the field.

I chose the following course;

Leading Teams for Emerging Leaders
Careers in Sustainable Development
Making and Impact Ethically
Introduction to scientific & Conservation Research

The content in each was very engaging and thorough, the lessons also tied in very well with the assignments. I found having the live lecture with experts in the sector extremely helpful with their wealth of knowledge and passion for the subject. The online community within the courses worked effectively too; the use of discussion forums opened opportunities to reach out to others on the same course to chat through the lessons and assignments.

I feel the cost of the courses reflects highly on the content provided, I have learn lots of new toolkits, theory and developed my understanding further in the wildlife conservation and sustainability sectors. This new knowledge will go a long way in boosting my career shift in the near future and allow me to make the most out of my next internship!

The content of the course was excellent, I learned such a lot and will definitely book onto another course that is relevant to me. The tutor was interesting, engaging and keen to hear the thoughts of the students. The assignments were very manageable and helped to consolidate the learning. The online tutorials were at a good time, but if you weren't able to attend the sessions were recorded so you could watch in your own time, and the tutor was happy to answer questions after the event, so if there was something you didn't quite understand, you weren't left in the dark. The group chats also brought up many interesting points.

I spent a month on Curieuse island just after graduating university and had such an amazing time that I then went back again a year later!

You get stuck in from the word go and it’s amazing to be able to be so hands on in the survey work with the shark pups, giant tortoises and turtles even if you have no prior experience. The experience is amazing and I’ll never forgot the moment I first saw a female turtle coming up the beach to nest. It’s also great to see the work you take part in actually being used by the Seychelles national park authority to drive future decisions.

Curieuse island itself is a wonderful place where you’re lucky enough to be able to live on an island in the national park that tourists can normally only visit for the day. Whilst the accommodation is pretty basic, it’s great to fully embrace island life with the dorms right on the beach and the ability to explore the island or snorkel on days and afternoons off. Curieuse is also really well placed to explore other islands like Praslin and La Digue or go scuba diving at weekends.

I can’t recommend the programme enough!

I travelled to Greece in June 2018 and had the best two weeks of my life.

Despite a rocky start of being refused boarding onto the airplane, from the moment I landed I felt both welcome and appreciated. Arriving many hours late, a GVI staff member waited for me all day in the airport and then sorted us accommodation in Athens, having missed our bus earlier! The warmth I felt from this lovely woman was immediate and continued for the whole trip...

Once we had finally arrived at the campsite the next day I was introduced to the rest of the staff as well as the other volunteers and within a few seconds made friends that, even though they live far away from me, are still part of my life now.

We stayed at a campsite on the most beautiful beach, surrounded by sand dunes and with stunning sunsets every single night. And this was the beach where our daily surveys took place. Each day we ventured out to locate and protect the turtle nests that had been dug the previous evening. Seeing the tracks they leave in the sand, and coming to understand them really makes you feel special!

By the end of the two week experience a significant goal had been reached. Over the summer the GVI team, along with Archelon (a neighbouring turtle conservation charity) had helped to protect over 1000 turtle nests, ensuring the hatchlings had the best chance of survival. There aren’t words to explain how rewarding it is to be involved in work like this. The celebration that evening was one to remember.

Volunteering for GVI was such an incredible experience. The scenery is reason enough to go to the area, but meeting new friends who also care about conserving nature, and knowing that we’d done some good for the turtles was the highlight of this fabulous trip. I cannot wait to get back!