Global Service-Learning and Solidarity in Nicaragua

City: Managua and Esteli Country: Nicaragua

Overview

The Community Service-Learning (CSL) office is excited to offer a Spring course that will engage students in global service-learning (GSL) activities abroad in Nicaragua.

Participate in a 3 week-course at the University of Alberta in May that will prepare you for your GSL experience. You will engage in a critical exploration of GSL as a pedagogy for learning, examining the tensions as well as the possibilities for solidarity that exist within GSL models. Learn more about Nicaragua's rich culture and about the history that has shaped its current economic, social and political context as the second "poorest" country in the Western hemisphere.

In late May/early June, travel with your peers, your instructor, and a CSL Partnership Coordinator to Nicaragua. Spend a couple of days in the capital city of Managua going on an alternative tour of the city and hearing from local folks about current issues impacting local communities. Then it's on to Esteli, "The City of Murals" as it is known in Nicaragua. Spend two weeks living with a host family and working with a local community group or organization in areas such as community arts programming, sustainable agriculture, and recreation and education programs for youth. Engage in facilitated reflection throughout your time in Nicaragua, pushing yourself to think critically and deeply about your experience.

This course is a great opportunity for students to engage critically with a global service-learning experience, and by doing so, foster a greater sense of global awareness and global citizenship.

***CSL 350/360 counts for *6 credits towards a Certificate in Community Engagement and Service-Learning.

When Can I Go?

Terms Offered: Spring

Term Dates: (Approximately) May 7-June 13, 2018

Eligibility Requirements

Open to: All Faculties

Level: Undergraduate

Program Information

Language of Instruction: English

Check out the CSL website for more information.

Submit an expression of interest here.

Housing

Students will stay at the Casa Canadiense hostel in Managua, and in hostels or hotels when travelling outside of Managua and Esteli. Students will stay in pairs with host families in and around the town of Esteli. Conditions will vary from house to house, but students can expect to have a bed or a cot to themselves. Most houses will have power and running water. Host families will assist students with laundry.