Summer 2007
Program Title: Introduction to International Development
Academic Departments: Political Science
Intercultural Location: Santarem, Brazil
Academic Instructor: Daniel Weiss, Ph.D.
Service-Learning Facilitator: Mei-Yen Hui
Program Description
Many people have a passion that they want to follow. For some it is helping protect the environment, for others it is fighting for indigenous rights, and for others it is ensuring that every child has a healthy future. This course is designed to give students a hands-on introduction to international development and the management of international organizations.
This course will take place in Santarém, Brazil. With a population of over 168 million, Brazil is among countries that have the highest absolute number of people living in poverty. 43.5% of Brazil's population eke out a living on less than US $2 per day.
The course will begin with an introduction to Brazil and the Amazon region. Students will learn about specific issues in developing countries by volunteering in health, education, welfare, and environmental organizations. Activities may include taking a boat ride down the Amazon to visit rural villages, hiking in the jungle to learn about the flora and fauna of the region, volunteering at a program for street children, visiting schools and hospitals, and experiencing the culture of the Brazilian Amazon.
Students will also examine the role that international organizations play in the new global environment. Seminars and field trips will be organized around the following topics: Politics and History of Brazil and the Amazon, Introduction to Organizations, Logistics, Human Resources, Finances, Health Care, Education, Welfare, and the Environment. For the service segment of the course, we will be partnering with a Brazilian organization that works with youth at risk in Santarém.
Students must complete a policy research paper on a pertinent topic before they arrive in Brazil. Research on that particular policy question will continue on site. The policy paper, a final exam, class projects, and attendance will determine students' grades.
Brazil
Our course will take place in Santarém, 500 miles up from the mouth of the mighty Amazon River. Santarém is a city of approximately 250,000 people. We will have the opportunity to work and play with the local people and to experience first hand the rich culture of Brazil. Santarem is located on Tapajos River, a popular destination for visitors to Brazil. Possible trips include a boat ride down the Amazon or Tapajós rivers, a hike through the jungle, a visit to Santarém's open air market, and a visit to one of the largest collections of Native South American artifacts in Latin America. Past students have also visited the beaches of Altar de Chao, often described as the "Caribbean of the Amazon"; and Nazare, a village reached in a day's journey by boat. Daily interaction with community members and children at the Pastoral do Menor will make this a journey impossible to forget!
We will provide service for the Pastoral do Menor. Pastoral do Menor Trabalhador was founded in 1987 by the Catholic Diocese of Santarem to combat the problems of violence, abandonment, and abuse of street children. Pastoral do Menor set up a Support Center for Child Workers (SCCW) which provides educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities for street children in an effort to give them a better future. Today, approximately 300 children take part in SCCW activities. The SCCW also has an outreach and prevention component. The staff visit the homes of families-at-risk and work with them to ensure that the children stay in school and stay away from gangs.
The needs of the community will determine our service project which may include building new facilities such as classrooms or workshops at Pastoral satellite sites as part of their goal to expand programming all over the region.
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Academic Details
Academic credits are awarded for this course through West Virginia University. The program will fulfill 6 academic credits in Political Science:
- Political Science Special Topics: Introduction to International Development
- 3 undergraduate credits (POLS 494)
AND
- Political Science Special Topics: Global Service-Learning
- 3 undergraduate credits (POLS 499)
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Program Timeline
May 21
Online classroom discussions and academic preparatory work
June 6-27
Santarem, Brazil Cultural Immersion
Service, field visits, lectures, documentaries, discussions, and reflections
June 28-July 12
Online classroom discussions and academic completion of program
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