Course Description
This study abroad program explores and builds sustainable, service-learning projects that focus on food insecurity issues in the communities surrounding the campuses of the University of Georgia and the University of Glasgow-Dumfries, Scotland, and provides a cadre of experiential learning experiences.
Athena Title
Scotland Service-Learning
Non-Traditional Format
Course includes a service-learning project during the semester that either employs skills or knowledge learned in the course or teaches new skills or knowledge related to course objectives. Students will be involved in the planning and implementation of the project(s) and may spend time outside of the classroom. Students will be engaged in the service-learning component for approximately 25-50% of overall instructional time.
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. Apply leadership and educational theory and practice in a volunteer/service capacity; 2. Orchestrate service learning projects in the U.S. and Scotland that focus on food insecurity issues; 3. Construct and implement a needs assessment project in Scotland; 4. Describe the many facets of building, implementing, and evaluating an international service-related project; 5. Apply personal leadership skills to solving community problems; and 6. Identify how culture impacts volunteerism.
Topical Outline
Week Student Learning Experiences 1 Welcome to class, our journey together, program development 101, programs vs. activities 2 Case study in existing programs and activities on food production and food insecurity; what are the common program ingredients? 3 Needs assessment, cameras, it takes more than one camera to describe a program landscape (program planning) 4 Virtual visit with our University of Glasgow, Dumfries partners (Part 1), discussion of landscapes to consider photographing needs of abroad 5 Developing program objectives based on needs we discover, using a logic model as a road map to plan a program 6 Virtual visit with our University of Glasgow, Dumfries partners (Part 2), discussion of observed needs regarding food production and insecurity 7 Developing activities to meet program objectives, developing activity objectives to guide our teaching (program implementation) 8 Virtual visit with our University of Glasgow, Dumfries partners (Part 3), volunteer development 101 domestically and abroad 9 Final trip preparations, reflecting on our experiences using a Reflective Field Journal, need photographs we will take (program evaluation) TRIP - SPRING BREAK TRIP TO UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW 10 What did you think? Reflecting on our trip, methods for encouraging permanent behavior change so that our work sticks 11 Comparing food production and insecurity issues abroad with those in the United States revisiting our case study from earlier this semester 12 Sharing our story with others, techniques for sharing successes and set-backs using publications, presentations, and posters (accountability) 13 Virtual visit with our University of Glasgow, Dumfries partners (Part 4), comparing needs (pre-data) with outputs and outcomes (post-data) 14 Where do we go from here? Reflections on needs measured, teaching methods during our trip, and the impressions of the Dumfries community, avenues for future research 15 Final preparations for the Poster Symposium/Success Story Sharing, final reflections on this experience together
Syllabus