If you sat down with Maijuran Rajeswaran and asked him what he loves, he would say he’s passionate about photography, loves to read, and is a fan of animated movies–“like Ice Age–for kids,” he chuckles. He might be 24, but he’s still connected to his younger self.
Maijuran, who goes by Maiju, just graduated from university, and his arrival at Learnlife marks the beginning of his gap year before he decides what career he’ll pursue.
As an Educational Intern, he’ll spend the next three months working across the programmes to support and guide learners with their projects and goals.
It’s an unpaid position but serves as a rich opportunity to gain new skills and new understandings of how learning can be done differently.
Immersed in Intensives
Every potential intern can have the option of a two week stage to determine if the cultural fit is right for both sides. If it clicks, interns will spend 3 to 6 months at Learnlife, part time or full time.
It’s a great option for university students or recent graduates who are trying to determine if education is the right path for them.
Maiju spent his first week at Learnlife immersed in Intensives, the week-long immersive learning blocks which allow cross-age groups to dive deep into a particular subject.
Maiju hopped around from engineering to hiking to creative expression. He particularly loved being with the engineering group when learners launched their homemade rafts at the beach.
“The core of Learnlife is letting the kids try stuff and build stuff, and it doesn't matter how good it is. You see a lot of kids who like to go to school and who are truly happy here,” he explains.
Always a Learner
Maiju is deeply interested in educational systems and educational philosophy. He graduated from Dortmund with a degree in Education Sciences and Psychology and then went on to intern at a foundation focusing on Civic Education.
Because he didn’t do any teacher training, he is happy to have the opportunity to see schools like Learnlife in action.
Although he’s just begun his internship, he’s already finding success in his strengths. He recognises that he’s very good at sensing the learning environment and seeing what is needed.
He’s also able to develop great relationships with the learners. Each day, you’ll find him learning alongside them.
“They behave differently with me because they identify with me.” Indeed, when asked to describe himself, the first word that pops to his mind is youthful. Learners might describe him, he believes, as a social butterfly.
“He’s a very helpful teacher in situations with writing and language, and he’s really just a nice guy to be around. He’s just the happy guy!” one learner says.
Next Steps
Maiju has more plans for after his three months at Learnlife. He’ll head to Chennai, India, to attend the Goethe Institute and learn about cultural education.
When asked where he sees himself in ten years, you can see his mind spinning for a moment. A home in Berlin and a small family wheel into view.
“Definitely, I will be serving people,” he says without a hint of doubt.
While he doesn’t yet know what field of education he’ll land in, what he’s seen at Learnlife has already made its mark.
“I believe it’s what’s needed in order to create a world that we want to live in to have a new way of education, a new way of learning, a new way of being, at the end of the day.”
Are you inspired to make a difference and interested in being an Intern at Learnlife? Get in touch here.
