Oregon State senior Rachele Gallinat is a Human Development and Family Sciences major in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences and is currently overseas! Rachele is fulfilling her degree internship requirement by interning with the Eric Liddell Centre in Scotland through IE3 Global Internships.

I have begun my internship! The Eric Liddell Centre is located in an enchanting building with a beautiful winding staircase and stained glass windows filling the halls. My desk with my own computer, centre email address, and personal phone line (I feel so important) are located in a cozy little copy machine room that opens into the Ca(I)re Programme office. Despite how secluded that sounds, coworkers are frequently entering the copy room and I couldn’t find a more social office to have! The other great part? We never stop drinking tea! It’s quite lovely to always have a warm drink in hand.

This week I began researching carer support and setting up carer courses for the Ca(I)re Programme. Carers include those who are in an unpaid caring role for a loved one, spouse, friend, or neighbor. Specifically, the Ca(I)re Programme aims to provide free courses for caregivers to have a break from caring, learn something new, receive much needed support, and even get more exercise. Courses include anything and everything from birdwatching walks to yoga, painting, relaxation, and even computer courses.

My research began with calling all the carers who had participated in the courses last autumn. Speaking to the carers allowed me to discover how these courses have helped them in the long run, how the course helped give the carer a break, and other factors like the improvement of overall health. Speaking with Scottish people with various experiences has been quite fascinating and typically ends with discussing where I come from.

Follow the link below to Rachele’s original entry on the IE3 Field Notes Blog: http://ie3global.ous.edu/blog/comments/1365/