Course Description
Students will participate with local agencies to provide a service to the community, designed with those agencies and UGA faculty, to meet the needs of that community and to enhance the academic curriculum of the student. There will be structured time to study and reflect on the basic issues involved.
Athena Title
Service Learning in Africa
Non-Traditional Format
Student will be working in the community and studying with UGA faculty and local agency officials to both understand the issues relating to the need for their service and to provide that service in an effective way. The work hours will be determined by the local agencies involved. Supplemental readings and discussions with both local service providers and UGA faculty will enhance the student's experience and understanding of the issues.
Pre or Corequisite
AFST 3900
Grading System
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
Course Objectives
Students will learn first hand about specific issues and problems related to their project in Africa. They will both meet a need within the community and expand their own knowledge and understanding of the issues. They will increase their commitment to community involvement and civic engagement. They will be empowered to envision and create future community service projects, both at home and abroad. They will integrate their academic learning with their practical experience to enhance both. Service-learning means a method under which students or participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that: is conducted in and meets the needs of a community and is coordinated with an institution of higher education, [and] or community service program, and with the community; helps foster civic responsibility; is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students or the educational components of the community service program in which the participants are enrolled; and includes structured time for the students and participants to reflect on the service experience. Source: National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 Students: 1) will be required to develop a project that is both viable and feasable in the host country; 2) must communicate in cross cultural situations in country and address a service learning class and other groups when they return to campus; 3) will communicate by email research issues on the web and use word processing to write their final report; 4) must analyse their projects while they are engaged in them as well as for the final report; 5) will write a final report based on the activities performed in the community they served.
Topical Outline
1) Skills development through active participation in organized service. 2) How to conduct field research based on the needs of a community. 3) Civic responsibility. 4) Developing a community service program in which the participants are enrolled. 5) Evaluating and reporting community activities.