Topics in International Service-learning

Week 13 (April 14^th) – Wrap up!

Objective:

Reflection on the SDS experience, and celebrate the end of an amazing journey!

Bridge:

The feedback that is received from the group will form the basis for improvements by coordinators and the program.

Engaging the Group:

Activities (in order of how they will be carried out):

• 9:00-9:45: Breakfast potluck!
• 9:45-10:00: Peer evaluation: participation goals
• 10:00-10:30: Discuss course experience, room for improvement
• 10:30-12:00: Movie

For each person to bring to class:

• To do before class: E-mail your final writing assignment to Dr. Dharamsi

Closing/Summary:

Thank you!

2 Bros

Barefoot Documentary Workshops

Barefoot Artists

Barli Development Institute for Rural Women

Free the Children

Help Learn Discover

Helping Hands Medical Missions

Week 12 (April 8^th) – MSF and Student Final Project Presentations

Objective:

A presentation will be two representatives from MSF (Medicins Sans Frontières): Jennifer Wetering and Rebecca Goulding. Final project presentations will given by Sabine and Monique.

Bridge:

Students will hear from two board members from MSF, as well as peer evaluate the final project presentations and learn from the perspectives and lenses that were used by the peers to evaluate their ISL organization of choice.

Engaging the Group:

Activities (in order of how they will be carried out):

• 9:00-9:45: MSF Presentation by Jennifer Wetering (member of Board of Directors for Medicins Sans Frontiere Canada, having worked as Field Coordinator and Financial Coordinator with MSF in Congo Brazaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi) and Rebecca Goulding (heavily involved with MSF’s essential medicine program, and serving on board of directors for Universities Allied for Essential Medicines.  Rebecca is also a post-doctoral fellow at the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics).
• 9:45-9:55: Student questions for MSF Presenters
• 9:55-10:00: Five minute break. Sabine sets up her presentation.
• 10:00-10:45: Sabine’s final project presentation
• 10:45-10:50: Peer evaluation
• 10:50-11:00: Ten minute break. Monique sets up presentation.
• 11:00-11:45: Monique’s final project presentation
• 11:45-11:50: Peer evaluation

For each person to bring to class:

• Full knowledge of and familiarity with the final project presentation grading rubric.
• To do before class: E-mail the ISL topics e-mail address a copy of your journal grades thus far so course coordinators can compile marks.

Closing/Summary:

Review two pending assignments: Final Reflective paper and final journal (on the participation goals), both due during the last class.

Week 11 (Mar 31^th) –Student Final Project Presentations

Objective:

Final presentation presentations will given by Devon, Stephen and Sarah.

Bridge:

Students will peer evaluate the final project presentations and learn from the perspectives and lenses that were used by the peers to evaluate their ISL organization of choice.

Engaging the Group:

Activities (in order of how they will be carried out):

• 9:00-9:45: Devon’s final project presentation
• 9:45-9:50: Peer evaluation
• 9:50-10:00: Ten minute break. Gordon sets up his presentation.
• 10:00-10:45: Stephen’s final project presentation
• 10:45-10:50: Peer evaluation
• 10:50-11:00: Ten minute break. Speaker sets up presentation
• 11:00-11:45: Sarah’s final project presentation
• 11:45-11:50: Peer evaluation

For each person to bring to class:

• Full knowledge of and familiarity with the final project presentation grading rubric.
• To do before class: E-mail the ISL topics e-mail address a copy of your journal grades thus far so course coordinators can compile marks.

Closing/Summary:

• Review two pending assignments: Final Reflective paper and final journal (on the participation goals), both due during the last class.

Week 10 (Mar 24^th) – VSO (Volunteer Services Overseas) and Student Final Project Presentations

Objective:

By the end of the session, students will have heard from our guest speaker, Umeeda Switlo, Outreach Director for CUSO (Canadian University Service Overseas) VSO (Volunteer Services Overseas). Projects undertaken by CUSO VSO will be highlighted. Final presentation presentations will given by Yan and Gordon.

Bridge:

From the speaker, students hear about another organization (CUSO VSO) and how they structure their ISL programs.  Students will peer evaluate the first two final project presentations.

Engaging the Group:

Activities (in order of how they will be carried out):

• 9:00-9:45: Yan’s final project presentation
• 9:45-9:50: Peer evaluation
• 9:50-10:00: Ten minute break. Gordon sets up his presentation.
• 10:00-10:45: Gordon’s final project presentation
• 10:45-10:50: Peer evaluation
• 10:50-11:00: Ten minute break. Speaker sets up presentation
• 11:00-11:50: CUSO VSO presentation by Umeeda Switlo, Outreach Director.

For each person to bring to class:

• Full knowledge of and familiarity with the final project presentation grading rubric.
• To do before class: E-mail the ISL topics e-mail address a copy of your journal grades thus far so course coordinators can compile marks.

Closing/Summary:

• Review two pending assignments: Final Reflective paper and final journal (on the participation goals), both due during the last class.

Week 9 (Mar 17^th) – Sustainable practices with CoDevelopment Canada and BCCASA; Video on ethics and sustainability of ISL

Objective:

By the end of the session, students will have heard from our guest speaker, Sarena Talbot, Education Program Assistant from CoDevelopment Canada on how the organization determines its partners, how do ensure workshops that their partners give are within local context, and how decision-making processes are made for project funding.  She will also touch upon recruitment of project participants, pre-departure training and project consultation process of her experience with BC Central American Solidarity Alliance. Following her presentation, a film on ethics and sustainability of ISL will be shown and followed by discussion.

Bridge:

From the speaker, students will receive information that can be used to gauge their organization of interest in terms of their sustainability, ethics and intercultural competency practice.  The film will offer an alternative media of looking at topics of ISL.

Engaging the Group:

Activities (in order of how they will be carried out):

• 9:00-10:00: Presentation by Sarena Talbot, Education Program Assistant, CoDevelopment Canada with Q&A period
• 10:00-10:05: 5-minute break
• 10:05-11:35: Ethics of ISL Film
  • Either Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma or another suitable film
  • 11:35-11:50: Discussion on the film

For each person to bring to class:

• To do before class: E-mail Dr. Dharamsi (shafik.dharamsi@familymed.ubc.ca) a copy of Journal #6 and detailed final project proposal by 9 AM, Wednesday (if you have not already done so).

Closing/Summary:

• Final Project: begin research and drafting of contents.
• Final Paper: begin draft.

Week 8 (Mar 10^th) – Sustainable practices in Engineers Without Boarders

Objective:

By the end of the session, students will have heard from our guest speaker, Annelie Tjebbes, Director of Overseas Learning from UBC EWB (Engineers without Boarders) on the recruitment of participants, pre-departure training, and the sustainability of their projects. Final presentation proposals will be presented by the remaining students (Devon, Gordon, Yan, and Sabine) and feedback will be given by the class. The final presentation rubric will be revisited, and the final paper will be assigned.

Bridge:

From the speaker, students hear about participant recruitment and the pre-departure training associated with EWB, as well as investigate the sustainability of their projects.  By receiving feedback from the class on the presentation proposals, each student will receive new perspectives and ideas on how to analyze each of their organizations’ mandates and projects through the theoretical frameworks that they have chosen.

Engaging the Group:

Activities (in order of how they will be carried out):

• 9:00-10:00: Presentation and discussion of detailed final project proposal
  • For each remaining student (Gordon, Devon, Yan, and Sabine):
    • Student presentation: 5 minutes
      • Organization and project, theoretical frameworks s/he intends to use to analyze the projects, what types of probing questions these frameworks will generate, and how these questions tie into course themes
  • Class suggestions and discussion: 10 minutes
  • 10:00-10:30: Revisit the final project presentation rubric
  • 10:30-10:50: Assign the final paper and decide upon a grading rubric.
  • 10:50-11:00: 10 minute break.
  • 11:00-11:50: Presentation by Annelie Tjebbes, Director of Overseas Learning from UBC’s Engineers Without Boarders.

For each person to bring to class:

• Hard copy of final project presentation proposal for oral presentation (see above)
• To do before class: E-mail Dr. Dharamsi (shafik.dharamsi@familymed.ubc.ca) a copy of Journal #5 and detailed final project proposal by 9 AM, Wednesday (if you have not already done so).
• Assign journaling assignment #6: reflection and response to presenter due March 18^th, reflecting on either of the previous two lectures
• Final Project: begin research and drafting of contents.
• Final Paper: begin draft.

Closing/Summary:

• Final Project: begin research and drafting of contents.
• Final Paper: begin draft.

http://www.development-ethics.org/merida_declaration

Achieving meaningful and effective community engagement

Objective:

By the end of the session, students will have heard from our guest speaker, Leah Walker, on frameworks on how to achieve respectful community engagement and consultation, while being aware of cultural complexities and power dynamics. Final presentation proposals will be presented and feedback will be given by the class.

Bridge:

From the speaker, students understand best practices on how host community interests can be incorporated in program evaluation and project planning processes, and incorporate the knowledge they gave gained to evaluation of the organizations they have chosen for their final project.  By receiving feedback from the class on the presentation proposals, each student will receive new perspectives and ideas on how to analyze each of their organizations’ mandates and projects through the theoretical frameworks that they have chosen.

Engaging the Group:

Activities (in order of how they will be carried out):

• 9:00-10:20: Presentation and discussion of detailed final project proposal
  • For each student:
    • Student presentation: 5 minutes
      • Organization and project, theoretical frameworks s/he intends to use to analyze the projects, what types of probing questions these frameworks will generate, and how these questions tie into course themes
  • Class suggestions and discussion: 10 minutes
  • 10:20-10:30: 10 minute break
  • 10:30-11:30: Leah Walker, from the division of Aboriginal People’s health at UBC, will discuss how better interactions between service learning participants and host communities can occur.
  • 11:30-11:50: Re-visit the final presentation rubric and dates, discussions on any adjustments that need to be made.

For each person to bring to class:

• Hard copy of final project presentation proposal for oral presentation (see above)
• To do before class: E-mail Dr. Dharamsi (shafik.dharamsi@familymed.ubc.ca) a copy of Journal #5 and detailed final project proposal by 9 AM, Wednesday.
• Assign journaling assignment #6: reflection and response to presenter.
• Final Project: begin research and drafting of contents.

Closing/Summary:

• Assign journaling assignment #6: reflection and response to presenter.
• Final Project: begin research and drafting of contents.

Thoughts on Maika Tshimbalanga’s Talk