Community Engagement Abroad: Perspectives and Practices on Service, Engagement, and Learning Overseas (Transformations in Higher Education)
Description
A landmark in our understanding of international community-engaged learning programs, this book invites educators to rethink everything from disciplinary assumptions to the role of higher education in a globalizing world. Tapping the many such programs developed at Michigan State University during the last half-century, the volume develops a comprehensive framework for analyzing study-abroad programs with a community-engagement focus. More than a how-to guide, it also offers seven theoretically framed case studies showing how these experiences can change students, faculty, and communities alike. The purposeful broadening of who is involved in these types of international learning programs leads to conceptual transformation and self-reflection within the participants. The authors take the reader on a fascinating journey through how they changed as a result of designing and delivering programs in full collaboration with community partners. The arguments given in this volume for developing truly reciprocal, mutually beneficial partnerships beyond the academy are powerful and persuasive.
Praise for Community Engagement Abroad: Perspectives and Practices on Service, Engagement, and Learning Overseas (Transformations in Higher Education)
“Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of community-engaged programming abroad poses great challenges to study abroad practitioners.Crawford and Berquist offer a very helpful framework as well as highly insightful program cases from one of the visionary trailblazers in this field—Michigan State University. This book provides the tools to
inform a broad range of community-engaged programming design choices.”
—MICHAEL GROSSPIETSCH, Executive Director, Global Engagement Institute
Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of community-engaged programming abroad poses great challenges to study abroad practitioners. Crawford and Berquist offer a very helpful framework as well as highly insightful program cases from one of the visionary trailblazers in this field—Michigan State University. This book provides the tools to inform a broad range of community-engaged programming design choices.
— Michael Grosspietsch, Executive Director, Global Engagement Institute
Countless personal testimonies attest that study abroad is a life-changing experience. Recent empirical evidence affirms these claims, suggesting that studying in another country qualifies as a developmentally powerful high-impact activity. Moreover, participating in a community-engaged service project while away tends to boost the positive benefits students realize. Doing international community-engaged service is complicated and challenging on many levels. Fortunately, the contributors to this timely, much-needed volume share valuable, insightful, and actionable lessons from the trenches to inform and guide this betterment work.
— George D. Kuh, Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus, School of Education, Indiana University
This collection provides a unique in-depth and longitudinal insight into one U.S. institution’s journey in considering and developing models for substantive, rigorous, and ethical engagement abroad. As an early pioneer and leader in short-term and faculty-led programs abroad, Michigan State University’s lessons learned and the case studies shared in this book provide an invaluable collection of perspectives from instructors and administrators alike. The many perspectives represented and questions asked result in a singular contribution to the international education field.
— Martha Johnson, Assistant Dean, Learning Abroad Center, Global Programs and Strategy Alliance, University of Minnesota
