Global service at the core of intercultural learning at University of New England
Study abroad for college students may not be something new, but how universities deliver that experience has evolved significantly over the years. University of New England's innovative model of global education based on active community service is the focus of a workshop at a meeting of international educators this week in Portland.
"Intercultural Learning through Global Service: Diverse Models of Short-Term Faculty-Led Programs" is one notable session at the NAFSA Association of International Educators Conference to be held November 13-15 in South Portland. Leading the panel are UNE Professor Thomas Klak, Ph.D., UNE Associate Professor Richard Peterson, Ph.D., and UNE Director of Cross Cultural Health Initiatives and Associate Professor of Nursing Jennifer Morton, Ph.D.
UNE's commitment to service learning is long-standing, and all undergraduates must complete a Senior Seminar in Citizenship combined with community service before graduation. Many of UNE's global service learning courses fulfill the university's Citizen Engagement requirement, the capstone of UNE's core curriculum. Moreover, health professionals are working in a more global health system, where team-based and collaborative care is becoming the standard. As the largest educator of health care professionals in the state, UNE is continually evolving the way it educates its students for this new and expanding landscape.
"UNE has developed truly innovative way of doing study abroad that are much more active and enriching for all partners involved," says Klak. He teaches a class called "Caribbean Sustainable Development," in which students combine campus-based learning with travel to the island nation of Dominica, where they experience first-hand the challenges of, and progress toward, sustainable development. Students study tropical island ecosystems and engage in development projects with Dominican partners who are working to achieve sustainable development.
Peterson teaches "Environment, Health, and Community Development in East Africa," which introduces students to the history of Kenya and the environmental, health and community development challenges it faces today. Peterson has spent many years living in Africa and speaks Swahili. His students live for three weeks in a field lab in Kenya, where they participate in community service projects with health, environmental, research and government organizations. They live in the communities they serve, and also experience home stays with Kenyan families.
"These kinds of experiences are far more enriching than simply touring a country, though we do take the time to explore and appreciate the unique beauty of each country we engage with," says Klak.
Morton leads UNE's Cross-Cultural Immersion in Healthcare Program to Ghana, a twice-yearly and long-established partnership in the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi Ghana, West Africa. UNE students, faculty and staff engage in direct health services, interprofessional collaboration, community education, and academic and cross-cultural exchange in the Ghana immersion program.
UNE's global educational and research opportunities are also offered in Brazil, Peru, Dominican Republic, and other countries. The university will be opening a campus in Morocco in 2014.
Klak, Peterson and Morton will discuss the many benefits - as well as the challenges - of UNE's innovative approach to global learning at the NAFSA Region XI Conference at the Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks on November 14 from 8:30-10:00 a.m.
Click here for more information on the NAFSA Conference.