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Community Connections Business Interns Our latest group of entrepreneurs from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, was in Portland from January 31 - February 25, 2005. To learn about future visiting interns, keep an eye on the Future Groups page! Who are the interns? Interns are promising young business leaders and entrepreneurs chosen in a nationwide competition in their home country. They are selected by a joint US-home country panel which considers their entrepreneurial potential and evaluates their English language ability. Interns come to the US to study Western business management, learn more about US culture, and make business contacts. Why do companies get involved in this program? To contribute to the former Soviet Union's transition to a market economy. To make contacts for potential business dealings in the Newly Independent States. To meet very interesting people from one of the most fascinating parts of the world. To provide company employees with exposure to another culture. To contribute to global understanding. To have fun. To do good. To join with other members of our community in sharing a truly revolutionary period in history. Who runs this program? Who funds it? Community Connections(CC) is a nationwide program administered locally by the World Affairs Council of Oregon, a non-profit organization established in the 1940s to promote global understanding. The Council was one of the first organizations to be involved in CC; we have hosted over 400 visitors from all parts of Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, since 1994. The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State under the Freedom Support Act. Where do interns live? Interns live with local home stay hosts who volunteer to house them. World Affairs Council staff arrange home stay placements. Host companies often find that their employees appreciate the opportunity to learn more about another culture by becoming a home stay host. If someone in your company would like to be involved, please let us know.		Host a Business Intern! To become a Community Connections Host Company, please fill our our Host Company Information Form. Current host companies: Please fill out our Host Company Evaluation Form! Prospective Host Companies: Check out the enormous list of local companies who have supported this What is expected of a host company? We ask that each company designate a Company Host to act as mentor to the intern for the duration of the internship, introduce them to other staff members, and become the liaison for communication with World Affairs Council staff. Specific job assignments vary greatly from one company to another and range from job shadowing to working as a fully functional member of your team. Flexibility is key. We recommend that a company representative meet with the intern early in the program, assess the intern’s abilities and goals, and incorporate him/her into the working of the company to the fullest extent possible. How long is the internship? Interns spend a total of 15 days in the host company. Interns attend professionally focused seminars each Friday. Do I pay my intern? No. The grant provides a modest per diem for each intern to cover their incidental expenses.