O LI Internship

Adriano Olivetti Leadership Institute (OLI) - Italy

What is OLI?

Located in Ivrea (Turin), the Adriano Olivetti Leadership Institute (OLI for short) is the first school in Italy fully dedicated to the study and practice of leadership. It was founded in 2020 by Harvard alumnus Stefano Zordan, who edited the Italian version of "The Practice of Adaptive Leadership" written by his professors Ronald Heifetz and Marty Lisnky. We believe that leadership is a civic practice, at everyone's reach, necessary to bring about change in our communities. We work with students, teachers, companies, public officials, women, citizens, NGOs, politicians to help them grow their leadership muscle and tackle the most pressing challenges they face.

Location

Ivrea - OLI headquarters are found in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ivrea. This town in Northern Italy has a long history of social advancement, beginning with the Olivetti company - a globally recognized symbol of design, beauty and innovation – from which OLI gets its name. With a history stretching back to the Roman Empire, and an industrial force which produced the Arduino, Ivrea exists in a context of innovation and cultural richness.

Florence – OLI has a secondary location in the city of Florence, focused on Leadership in Healthcare. Look at the healthcare track below for more information.

The Internship Program recruits passionate students to learn about our leadership framework, our work with profit and nonprofit clients, community-building and urban renewal with the core values of Ivrea in mind. It encourages diverse talents to flourish and find real application in unique sites and institutions. Ivrea is a place of industrial renewal and social experimentation, unique attention to beauty and design, political debate and technological innovation. These are values that interns will have an opportunity to reflect on. The internship will run for 10 weeks, with a 5-day workweek. Throughout the Program, the interns will:

  •   Attend training sessions on Adaptive Leadership
  • Engage in various assignments, projects, and activities of varying complexity, structured to enable them to gain the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform at a professional level.
  • Conduct research on topics related to the work of the institute.
  • Support OLI's staff in preparing meetings, events, trainings.
  • Meet with different stakeholders and partners.
  • Visit OLI's second location in Florence (https://campus.meyer.it/).

Specifically, the Italian Department offers 4 different internship tracks:

 

  1. Leadership Education

After learning about Adaptive Leadership, interns will assist OLI's staff in crafting learning experiences for its clients, focus on classroom dynamics, and attend training sessions.

 

  1. Leadership for Healthcare

Interns in this track will focus on the application of Adaptive Leadership to the healthcare sector. They will spend a significant amount of time at OLI's second location in Florence, the Center for Leadership and Health, at the Meyer Children's Hospital. By proposing an idea of "accessible" leadership that helps people and organizations to re-imagine themselves and to deepen their understanding of the challenges posed by change, it represents a unique case in the Italian context in which leadership training results in a community of practice capable of generating positive impact on the rest of the system.

 

  1. Olivetti Heritage

Designed in collaboration with the Olivetti Archive, this track will allow interns to gain knowledge on the unique history of the Olivetti Corporation. They will explore the company's contributions to design, innovation, architecture, and welfare, and reflect on the multiple initiatives to promote this heritage today.

 

  1. UNESCO Development

This focus will allow students to learn about the specifics of Ivrea's UNESCO site. They will assist OLI's staff in their work vis a vis local and UNESCO officials and other actors engaged in the development of the site.

Who can apply?

Internships are open for students who:

  • study disciplines like History, Education, Sociology, Philosophy, Design or Government.
  • Have a B1 or B2 knowledge of the Italian language.
  • Possess solid quantitative and IT skills.
  • Demonstrate excellent drafting and communication skills.
  • Can work in a multicultural environment.

Funding: Dartmouth funding is available from the Center for Professional Development and the Dickey Center for International Understanding. Inquire for further information.

Application Details: Internship applications should be submitted to luisa.lindsey@dartmouth.edu.