This year's project will focuses on eco-tourism, development, and cultural preservation throughout Peru and in the villages surrounding Lake Titicaca. Students will dialogue about the complex factors affecting these issues and current societal solutions. The goal is to think critically about problem solving with an emphasis on self-reflection. Monthly participant meetings, starting in Fall 2017, focus on the principles of partnership, equity, accountability, and ownership. Students will discuss culturally sensitive and empowering service frameworks then, using cultural immersion techniques, will join local villagers to embark on a meaningful project that should give them a new sense of self and servant leadership.
Learning Outcomes
- Learn to access humanitarian values (e.g. using social justice rhetoric, understanding personal and social responsibility, and serving as positive social change agents)
- Explore the dimensions of difference in communities
- Engage with the local Los Angeles community in appreciation of civic duty
- Gain knowledge about new cultures and the natural world
Through transformative learning and engagement, students will experience expanded viewpoints, diminished fear and increased openness. This course allows participants to take chances, tolerate ambiguity, see connections and develop relationships across boundaries.
Introducing the Social Change Model as a component of our community impact and experiential learning curriculum, the ASI Alternative Break Service Learning Project, as a part of a larger leadership paradigm, commits to the holistic development of students. While participating in inquiry-guided learning, students contemplate the true nature of service while building character and leadership skills at home and abroad.
The ASI Alternative Break Summer Service Learning Project affects development in three areas: Cognitive Development (head), Reflection/Meaning Making (heart), and Acts/Engagement (hands).
For more information, please contact:
Marcus A. Rodriguez, ASI Director of Government Affairs & Leadership Programs, at:
Resources
Listen: NPR Story - As 'Voluntourism' Explodes In Popularity, Who's It Helping Most? - More often Americans are working in orphanages, building schools and teaching English abroad. It's called volunteer tourism, or "voluntourism," and it's one of the fastest growing trends in travel today. But some people who work in the industry are skeptical of voluntourism's rising popularity.
Listen: NPR Story - Voluntourism: Doing It Right Is Not As Simple As It Sounds - "I encourage people to travel and see the need, but I encourage them to also consider the 'then what' and their plan afterwards. Is it just for two weeks in the summer for you to have a great experience and an awesome Facebook album? Or is this some sort of personal path, where you're going to help have a more transformative impact on the communities?" - Leila de Bruyne
Watch: TED Talk - Ernesto Sirolli - Want to help someone? Shut up and listen! - When most well-intentioned aid workers hear of a problem they think they can fix, they go to work. This, Ernesto Sirolli suggests, is naïve. In this funny and impassioned talk, he proposes that the first step is to listen to the people you're trying to help, and tap into their own entrepreneurial spirit.
Service Learning in Peru: Everything you need to know - This comprehensive guide includes information about preparing for your trip and what to expect on your program. Please review the Ambassador Code and help us provide an enriching experience for everyone.
Pocket Guide to Expert Travel - In this comprehensive guide you will find everything you need to know about your program, from getting ready to travel to what to expect when you arrive.
Get a Good Night's Sleep - You can expect safe, clean, and comfortable hotels during your program-just know that your accommodations abroad may differ from hotels you've experienced at home.
Explore the Basics of Flying - Be sure to arrive to the airport three hours prior to your departure for check-in. Your flight itinerary will likely have connections and you will not be able to upgrade or select your seat.
Managing Homesickness - Remember to practice self-care! Thea Monyee-Winkler, LMFT, CAPS reviews symptoms, coping strategies, and preventative measures.
