Call for EIESL Kit Contributions

The EIESL project is seeking contributions from students, staff and faculty to be published in an interdisciplinary “toolkit”.  The toolkit will offer learning activities that guide users to explore ethical themes related to international service and engagement. Contributions may take many forms and will include, but are not limited to: experiential learning activities, artworks, musical compositions, short films, poetry, case studies, reflective essays, and scholarly essays. If you are interested in contributing to this toolkit, please see the below instructions for more details.

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Contributors Instructions for EIESL Toolkit

The Ethics of International Engagement and Service Learning (EIESL) project is seeking contributions from students, staff and faculty to be published in an interdisciplinary “toolkit”. The toolkit will offer learning activities that guide users to explore ethical themes related to international service and engagement.

The EIESL project is developing this toolkit to serve as a resource for faculty, staff and students who are involved in international service or engagement. Faculty may integrate learning activities into their courses, staff may use this resource in workshops with students or their colleagues, and students will find it useful in their clubs, or to personally reflect on their research or service activities. Contributions may take many forms and will include, but are not limited to: experiential learning activities, artworks, musical compositions, short films, poetry, case studies, reflective essays, and scholarly essays.

The popularity of International Service Learning (ISL) projects is rapidly growing. Through ISL, students have the opportunity to work and learn in an international setting (often in “developing” countries) for periods of a few weeks, months, or perhaps a year. Those participating in these programs may have a genuine desire to help, learn and improve quality of life in their host communities. There is, however, a growing concern around the conflicting motivations for engaging internationally. Motivations may include: a positive desire to promote equity and to work with and for communities; fulfilling a graduation requirement; enhancing a résumé; or securing research funds. The Ethics of International Engagement and Service Learning (EIESL) project aims to establish a platform and a community of practice for sustainable, supportive and ethical approaches to international engagement and service learning at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Contributors will adhere to the following guidelines for submitting learning activities, artworks, musical compositions, poetry, short films and essays:

All successful submissions will:

• Guide toolkit users to bring reflective attention to the ways that they think, act, speak, and engage with international communities.
• Address at least one of the six “ethical themes” outlined in more detail on the EIESL Web-Based Guidebook (www.ethicsofisl.ubc.ca): Intercultural Understanding, Training and Education, Sustainability, Balance and Reciprocity, Motivations, and Witnessing and Observing.
• Use APA standards for citations
• Include a title page with the contributors’ name, phone number and email address

Learning activity contributions will identify which ethical theme(s) the activity explores, and will include:

• Specific learning objectives
• Step-by-step facilitation instructions
• Relevant discussion/debriefing questions
• An essay of no more that 500 words describing what you hope participants will gain from the learning activity, and/or a reflection on your experience leading the activity.

Artworks, musical compositions, poetry, and short films contributions will identify which ethical theme(s) the piece explores, and will include an essay of no more that 500 words describing how you see this piece being utilized by toolkit users, and what you hope toolkit users will gain from your contribution. Please submit photographs of artworks (paintings, sculptures, etc), rather than the artworks themselves.

Scholarly or reflective essays will address the social, political, economic, cultural or historical dimensions of international service, and will include at least two discussion questions following from the essay’s theme. Essays will be no longer than 750 words.

Submissions are adjudicated by the EIESL editorial team and are judged based on how well they satisfy each of the submission criteria listed above. Successful contributors will be notified by email by February 1, 2011. Contributors will be given full recognition in the toolkit and will be invited to showcase their contribution at a publication gala event in late March/early April.

Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis until January 10, 2011.
Email submissions or questions to: ethicsofisl@gmail.com

Additional information on the EIESL project be found on the EIESL Web-based Guidebook: www.ethicsofisl.ubc.ca, or on the EIESL blog: https://blogs.ubc.ca/ethicsofisl