The best classroom is the one without walls! We encourage motivated, adventurous students to join us in a fun and engaging experiential learning atmosphere on the ground in Tanzania. There are two programs: Maymester and Service Leaning. There are a range of academic topics are offered through these programs, topics which can only be covered traveling through a country as diverse as Tanzania. Expect to gain authentic experiential knowledge by seeing, discussing, and participating in activities you may never have the chance to engage in again. Service Learning in Tanzania is an experiential and academic Maymester course based in Moshi, Tanzania at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Students will learn about the issues surrounding the need for Centers for Orphans and Street Children, and about how local citizens are stepping up to fill that need. They will visit several centers, talking with their directors and staff and with some of the children living in the Centers. They will see a wide range of quality between the programs, and will consider why the differences exist. Students will then discuss each center and decide how to distribute the contributions that have been raised to help the children. The program has been working with some of the centers for several years, and students will be asked to evaluate what progress, if any, has been made. HOW IS SERVICE LEARNING DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL STUDY ABROAD? Service Learning in Africa involves working with a community on issues defined by that community. It requires study of the issues involved, preparation to address those issues, and reflection during and after the experience. This goes beyond the traditional volunteer service because students study the issues at hand as they working in the community, and then reflect on the experience in a final paper or other presentation. Academic credit is one way that the students can demonstrate what they have learned, and how they have grown, throughout the experience. Students have the option of adding on a chance to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and they may elect to get credit for PEDB 1100 (Beginning Hiking) if they need PE credit.
