311: Go ED. Practicum - Food for the Hungry

Instructor: Bruce Nisley

Course Description:

This course is designed to give students hands on cross-cultural experience with community development work in the field. Students will be exposed to international development and relief programs, have the opportunity to work in cross-cultural work environments, and to contribute meaningfully to their assigned program. Students will begin to assess their own ability to live and work in cross-cultural settings as well as be introduced the challenges faced in the millennial development goals.

Learner Outcomes:

Students will become acquainted with the millennium development goals.
Students will be able to articulate and evaluate a personal learning objective for their practicum.
Students will gain a greater understanding of a different culture and its values.
Students will become familiar with various NGO activities and programs within the varied settings in east Africa (chiefly those of Food for the Hungry).
Individuals’ will have hands-on work experience in a productive cross-cultural work setting and an opportunity to apply their skills to real world development problems.
Students will have an opportunity to honestly evaluate their own personal performance and adaptation in a cross-cultural setting.
Students will develop confidence and understanding through experience-based education.
Students will gain experience in journaling and appreciate its value in recording personal thought and reflection.
Students will begin to process their role in poverty and choose how they will respond to taking ownership of world poverty.

Assignments:

Curriculum Vita and Learning Objective:
Students should bring an updated CV/resume with them for the practicum fair where student will learn about possible practicum placement opportunities for which they can apply. Students will apply for their three practicum placement opportunities of choice. Student will also include a well thought out learning objective for each of the practicum they apply for.
Journaling:
Students will be expected to make journal entries a minimum of three times weekly. The entries should include not just circumstances but thoughts and reflections of personal growth and development. Students should also be including personal evaluation of their progress in accomplishing their own learning objective.
Supervisor Field Evaluation:
Students will be given blank evaluation forms for their field supervisors to complete. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that these forms are completed by their field supervisor and returned the Regional Director of Academic Programs.
Summary Report:
This project is the culmination of the course and will require each student to develop a multimedia presentation or write a publishable magazine article. These projects are a tool to encourage reflection on part of their practicum experience. It is advisable to consider only one topic from their practicum; the entire practicum would be too general. Ideas may include one of the following topics or other topics approved by the Regional Director of Academic Programs. The list of pre-approved topics includes the following:
1. Choose the millennium development goal your practicum assignment most closely addresses and explain how the development program you worked with contributed toward accomplishing this goal. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
2. Choose the millennium development goal that you believe is the highest priority for your practicum community and describe how you might begin to address these needs or what programs you believe will most closely fill theses needs. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
3. Identify what you believe to be the greatest needs in this community how you believe these needs might best be addressed.
4. Reflect upon how your view or perception of poverty changed as a result of this experience?
5. Evaluate your ability to deal with cross-cultural adjustments and your effectiveness in living and working within a culture different than your own.

Policies and Expectations:

Students are expected to exhibit professional and respectful conduct throughout their entire practicum experience. This should include courteous attitudes towards others, respecting authority, following instructions, being reliable in task completion and attendance, as well as showing creativity and innovation in the practicum setting.
Students will show cultural sensitivity in both the community and the practicum environment.
Students are required to show up promptly at assigned times for all appointments and assignments.
Dress shall be appropriate as determined by practicum supervisor.
Students will conduct themselves consistently with the Go ED. Africa Lifestyles Agreement which each student has signed.

Course Evaluation:

-- Curriculum Vita and Learning Objective      5 pts
-- Journal Entries                            15 pts
-- Supervisor Field Evaluation                40 pts
-- Project                                    40 pts
-- Total Points                               100 pts

Grading Scale:

Course Outline:

Week	Topic
1	Attend practicum fair for participating African Countries. Each country will present projects and programs taking place within the country and also specific practicum placement opportunities.
2	Send applications including CV and learning objective for the three most desired practicum placement opportunities to the Regional Director of Academic Programs and the relevant Country Directors. Specific care should be taken in developing the learning objective and its measurability. This will account for 5% of the practicum grade.
3	Students will be notified of their practicum assignments. Country Directors will make contact with student and student may begin to become familiar with the details of the practicum.
5-8	On-sight for practicum. Track all field hours on the time sheet including all training sessions, time with staff, travel and time learning about your community. Write bi-weekly journal entries along with evaluations to be completed and signed by country directors or immediate supervisors. Journal entries will account for 15% of the grade and field evaluations account for 40%.
8	Secure your signed field evaluation form from your field supervisor before leaving your practicum site and give it to the country director at your debriefing. Begin writing magazine article and participate in group debriefing sessions.
9-11	On sight in Rwanda for Issues in Peace Building course.
12	Complete and submit your project by email or disc to the Regional Director of Academic Programs.