Twenty-three Lynchburg College students will be traveling to St. Lucia this summer, but they won't be hanging out at beach resorts. They are going to help St. Lucians with a variety of projects that match their academic interests in education, nursing, and international relations.
For a few of the students and faculty, this will be a return trip to visit people they connected with on a similar program last year. In Anse La Raye, a small fishing village, they painted the community hall and worked with the youngsters to produce creative projects such as songs, rap, and poetry, which the St. Lucians then performed for their entire village.
The villagers, via Petronilla Deterville, had asked for a partnership with their children that would result in a creative product which would give their youth a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence.
"That's the sort of collaborative and sustainable relationship we wanted to see forged," said Dr. Sabita Manian, associate professor of international relations and one of the faculty leaders. Others are Dr. David Richards, assistant professor of international relations, Jennifer Hutchinson, assistant professor of nursing, and Kathy Husted, assistant professor of human development and learning.
The service learning program begins with a week of classes at LC May 18-22 that will explore the culture, history, politics, and economics of the island nation. Students are also required to take a one-credit hour course on "Cross-Cultural Explorations" so that they will learn to adjust, adapt, and operate in a foreign setting. Students depart for St. Lucia May 29 and return June 12.
The service-learning program includes preschool screening related to health, developmental, and educational needs; mentoring and tutoring adolescents at risk; and understanding governmental and cultural considerations in St. Lucia.
Students will get a chance to see hospitals and learn about the impact of tourism. Instead of staying in an internationally owned resort, students will be staying in a locally owned hotel.
Lynchburg College officials foresee a long-term commitment to service learning in St. Lucia, where LC established an educational partnership in July 2003. That effort began with a workshop for 50 special education teachers that led to training 40 special education teachers over three summers in St. Lucia.
Several students from the St. Lucia special education cohort have attended Lynchburg College and by December 2009 students will have earned 11 bachelor's and 10 master's degrees. Another 25 educators earned their M.Ed. in school counseling in St. Lucia.
A grant from Jessie Ball duPont Fund in support of international service learning is providing travel scholarships for the LC students.
LC would also like to give the Lynchburg community a chance to become a partner in this project. Anyone who would like to donate laptop computers or cash for school supplies may contact Chris Gibbons at 434/544-8640.