Overview

International service-learning programs are growing on college and university campuses; yet little is known about how students learn from these experiences and even less is known about how hosting communities benefit from these endeavors, particularly when the projects are short-term. Journeys to South Africa: Reflections on 20 Years of Short-term Service-Learning helps fill these gaps in the knowledge about international service-learning by offering description and analysis of qualitative data gathered during 20 years of service-learning in South Africa. This book is a unique collection of college student- and faculty-authored chapters. The data includes interviews conducted with host communities, surveys of students who have participated in the ISL program, interviews with some students who participated in the program in the early 2000s, and students’ travel journal entries, all of which are used to exemplify the successes and challenges of this 20-year ISL program. Journeys to South Africa provides significant insight into the two most important concerns of any service-learning program: how do students learn and communities benefit from these projects. The writing style is engaging, providing a unique combination of first-hand narratives, qualitative evidence and scholarly context. Faculty, administrators, and students who are interested in international service-learning will find enlightening the insights on the best practices and benefits of short-term international service-learning offered by Journeys to South Africa.

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9781433189289

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Reviews

“Journeys to South Africa is an invaluable resource for faculty and community partners designing international service-learning programs, for students preparing for or engaged in ISL experiences, and for ISL researchers. This book offers astute, sensitive, and politically nuanced thick description of West Chester University’s twenty-year long international service-learning program. Individually and collectively, the book’s writers offer a qualitative argument for sustained international service learning that foregrounds reciprocity between participants and communities and prioritizes deep reflection for learning. Beautifully conceived, crafted, and curated, Journeys to South Africa braids student and faculty voices into a must-read for scholars, practitioners, and participants of service learning!” —Dr. Frankie Condon, Associate Professor, University of Waterloo and Assistant Chair, Conference on College Composition and Communication “Grounded in decades of critical theory and Freirean-based pedagogy underpinning international Service-Learning, this text offers a highly creative and innovative approach significantly expanding that seminal scholarship. This unique collection—collaboratively researched and written by a combination of seasoned professionals, faculty and student field participants, and community partners—provides careful attention to the most significant components of Service-Learning: genuine reciprocity between service-providers and community partners (even giving a respectful nod to the eleven official South African languages), as well as, conscious inclusion of frequent guided written reflections. It is a text that clearly transcends mere description of an outstanding multi-dimensional program by providing useful, transferable resources for others interested in creating or enhancing international Service-Learning programs in varied locations. The three-part structure offers ‘contextualizing chapters,’ written by academics who designed and participated in this 20-year South African program (these laudably conclude with extremely useful ‘best practices’ lists); alternated with ‘interview-chapters’ of carefully transcribed conversations with community partners from varied sites; followed by highly impactful ‘interchapters,’ consisting of student journal entries that reflect the critical thinking required to meet the complex intellectual and emotional challenges of this type of quality International Service-Learning.” —Dr. Mary Kay Mulvaney, Professor of English, Director Honors Program, Elmhurst University “Journeys to South Africa’s applied service-oriented qualitative research approach addresses genuine needs for the South African communities. It also offers concrete benefits for the communities, while simultaneously providing the students with an opportunity to develop important social science research skills and to truly connect with the people they interviewed; emotionally and intellectually. Students are fully present as witnesses to South African culture, listen to the communities’ stories and support locals in the process of recovery. Students learn from the sources of participants’ emotional responses, and employ their new knowledge as the foundation for future actions. The true change-maker mindset is being born.” —Dr. Irena van Nynatten-Janikowska, Honors Director, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences; Member, International Education Committee, National Collegiate Honors Council

“Grounded in decades of critical theory and Freirean-based pedagogy underpinning international Service-Learning, this text offers a highly creative and innovative approach significantly expanding that seminal scholarship. This unique collection—collaboratively researched and written by a combination of seasoned professionals, faculty and student field participants, and community partners—provides careful attention to the most significant components of Service-Learning: genuine reciprocity between service-providers and community partners (even giving a respectful nod to the eleven official South African languages), as well as, conscious inclusion of frequent guided written reflections. It is a text that clearly transcends mere description of an outstanding multi-dimensional program by providing useful, transferable resources for others interested in creating or enhancing international Service-Learning programs in varied locations. The three-part structure offers ‘contextualizing chapters,’ written by academics who designed and participated in this 20-year South African program (these laudably conclude with extremely useful ‘best practices’ lists); alternated with ‘interview-chapters’ of carefully transcribed conversations with community partners from varied sites; followed by highly impactful ‘interchapters,’ consisting of student journal entries that reflect the critical thinking required to meet the complex intellectual and emotional challenges of this type of quality International Service-Learning.” —Dr. Mary Kay Mulvaney, Professor of English, Director Honors Program, Elmhurst University “Journeys to South Africa is an invaluable resource for faculty and community partners designing international service-learning programs, for students preparing for or engaged in ISL experiences, and for ISL researchers. This book offers astute, sensitive, and politically nuanced thick description of West Chester University’s twenty-year long international service-learning program. Individually and collectively, the book’s writers offer a qualitative argument for sustained international service learning that foregrounds reciprocity between participants and communities and prioritizes deep reflection for learning. Beautifully conceived, crafted, and curated, Journeys to South Africa braids student and faculty voices into a must-read for scholars, practitioners, and participants of service learning!” —Dr. Frankie Condon, Associate Professor, University of Waterloo and Assistant Chair, Conference on College Composition and Communication “Journeys to South Africa’s applied service-oriented qualitative research approach addresses genuine needs for the South African communities. It also offers concrete benefits for the communities, while simultaneously providing the students with an opportunity to develop important social science research skills and to truly connect with the people they interviewed; emotionally and intellectually. Students are fully present as witnesses to South African culture, listen to the communities’ stories and support locals in the process of recovery. Students learn from the sources of participants’ emotional responses, and employ their new knowledge as the foundation for future actions. The true change-maker mindset is being born.” —Dr. Irena van Nynatten-Janikowska, Honors Director, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences; Member, International Education Committee, National Collegiate Honors Council

Author Information

"Victoria M. Tischio holds a Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric from the the University at Albany, SUNY (1998). She holds a B.S. in Studio Art (painting and silversmithing) and an M.A. in English (British Romanticism) from Southern Connecticut State University. She has published in the areas of critical pedagogy, feminism, and service-learning. She teaches introductory, advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in composition and rhetoric, and undergraduate courses in film, and for the Honors College she teaches courses on publishing and service-learning. She has served in numerous leadership roles at West Chester University, including Associate Dean for the College of Humanities and Sciences, English Department Chair, Learning Communities Coordinator, and Writing Center Director. Camryn Carwll (Cam) has a B.A. in English Literature and Communication Studies from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in African and African American Literature and publishing. She traveled to South Africa in 2019 with the WCU Honors College. Since graduating in spring 2020, Cam works as a social media account manager and a freelance writer. She can be found caring for her ""plant babies"" and catching up on Black feminist writing. CJ Deskie is a graduating senior, majoring in Psychology at West Chester University. He participated in the 2019 Honors College service-learning program in South Africa. After working as an author and co-editor of this book, he discovered a love for writing, which he is pursuing through a minor in journalism and creative writing classes. He hopes to utilize his knowledge of writing and psychology to inspire and help others. CJ currently works as a campus tour guide and a peer educator for the campus Wellness Promotion Center. He aspires to work as a therapist or as a writer after graduation. Dunya Markovic is a graduating senior with a major in Studio Arts and minors in Art History, Civic and Professional Leadership, and Psychology at West Chester University. She traveled to South Africa in 2019 and her experience there led her to working as a research assistant and co-editor of this book and to serving as the Games and Activities Director for Aid to South Africa. Dunya works as a Leadership Consultant on WCU's campus, where she creates and runs leadership seminars and assists student-run organizations. She hopes to pursue a career as an art historian after graduation."

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