Eight people, one purpose: Meet the 2026 Aiducatius Creativity Internship cohort
Every year, the Aiducatius Creativity Internship brings together a small group of people from across the Educatius community to learn, contribute and build relationships at a rural village school in The Gambia. Eight people have been selected from across our global network of students, alumni, staff, host families, school partners and strategic partners. Each one chosen because they bring something distinctive to the group, and because they represent the values that sit at the heart of our work.
This year, they come from Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Vietnam and the United States. Some are former exchange students. Some support students and families every day in their professional roles. We’ve got a teacher and a host mom. What connects them is their drive to go the extra mile in everything they do and to use creativity to bring people together.
In international education, it is easy to talk about destinations and travel. But exchange is also about building character, broadening perspective and what people choose to do with the experiences they have been given.
The Aiducatius internship is just one visible part of a much longer story. Aiducatius has supported education initiatives since 2009, including the support of 620 youth each year in Kartong, as well support for the education of disabled children and sustainable communities in Tanzania. The internship exists within our long-term commitment, collaboration with local communities, and the belief that access to education changes lives far beyond the classroom.
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Meet the 2026 cohort
- Pia Bodeewes, Germany
Pia is a former exchange student in the United States from STS Germany. She brings a love of conversation and hands-on creativity shaped by years of caring for children, life in a large host family, and her own experience using art, poetry, jewelry-making and movement as ways to process emotion and connect with others.
- Ingeborg Mehlum Gunleiksrud, Norway
Ingeborg is a former Educatius exchange student in Australia and now studies economics in Bergen. Her background includes choir, theatre, stage performance, swim instruction for child refugees. She brings a way of thinking about creativity that is deeply tied to adaptability and helping everyone feel included.
- Louise Hallam, United Kingdom
Louise is a primary school teacher, a long-time Educatius host mum and an active volunteer in her local community. With more than 30 years of teaching experience, a love of languages, art and forest-school style learning, her thoughtful, practical approach helps children learn through nature, curiosity and shared activities.
- Katherine Rodriguez, United States
Katherine is a visual arts and ceramics teacher at Heritage High School in Florida, one of Educatius’ partner schools. Her work connects older and younger students through collaborative art projects, and her approach is rooted in helping young people build confidence, tell their own stories and create with simple materials. - Anna Vo, Vietnam
Anna is Educatius’ Regional Director for Southeast Asia and works closely with educational agencies across the region. She is known inside the organisation as a generous mentor and thoughtful leader, and brings experience from community and early education projects, including work with children in South Africa, along with a talent for turning songs, stories and ideas into well-organised learning experiences. - Isabelle Piairo, Australia
Isabelle is Program Manager at Student Exchange Australia New Zealand (SEANZ). She has spent years supporting students and families across diverse cultures, and her experience includes volunteering in Chile, helping build housing in vulnerable communities, and bringing warmth and curiosity into every group she works with. - Silvia Piras, Italy
Silvia is a Program Manager at Astudy and has more than 15 years of experience guiding students and families through exchange programs. She is known for combining patience, honesty and empathy with calm decision-making, especially in complex situations, and often opens her own home as a host parent. - Marcus Wright, United States
Marcus is Placement Service Manager at Greenheart Exchange, a strategic partner of Educatius. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania, he specialises in community-based projects, youth development and storytelling, and brings a strong belief that creative expression can help young people connect their own stories to wider questions about leadership and responsibility.
Why this matters
Eight impressive people are travelling to The Gambia to contribute to the young students at St. Martin’s School. Their selection represents the people who carry the values of exchange long after a program ends – and who are willing to keep building on them in ways that can make a positive impact beyond themselves.
For our students, host families, colleagues and school this shows the kind of community we are a part of. It reflects the people behind the work and the standards they hold themselves to. And for alumni, it is a reminder that an exchange experience does not have to end when you come home. Sometimes it becomes the start of a different kind of contribution.
