GlobaLinks NewsWire » volunteerism

Giving Back: Challenge New Zealand Leadership Students Clear Path at New Zealand School

Stacey — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:06:24 +0000

The Challenge New Zealand: Leadership Development group from January 2012. Jennifer Hackney is in the front row, fifth person from the right.

For the past five years, participants in GlobaLinks Learning Abroad’s twice yearly Challenge New Zealand: Leadership Development program have thrown their youthful energy into a day of volunteering on behalf of the Houghton Valley School on the South Coast of Wellington.

Jennifer Hackney, of Rowan University in New Jersey, was part of the January 2012 Challenge New Zealand group charged with clearing a track along the school.

“Through the entire experience in New Zealand our group was greeted with kind voices and open arms,” Hackney said, “and we found the Houghton Valley School project as the perfect opportunity to show our appreciation.”

Challenge New Zealand: Leadership Development is a two-week short course emphasizing leadership, personal development and team building. The course travels throughout the North Island of New Zealand, which is widely known as one of the most innovative, culturally diverse, and beautiful countries in the world. Activities include group work, service learning, cultural examination, discussions with community and business leaders, and a five-day program of outdoor, physical challenges.

When the January 2012 Challenge New Zealand group first arrived for their service learning project, Hackney says, they were unsure what to expect until Dave McArthur, caretaker for the school and a member of the green movement in New Zealand for more than 40 years, explained the ongoing effort of gradual environmental restoration of the Houghton Valley, once home to a forest of large coastal trees before becoming a rubbish dump from 1949-1962.

McArthur explains to the volunteer students that the Houghton Valley was an ideal geography for the Maori to live off the land and catch food from the nearby sea. The arrival of Europeans, however, changed the valley. The Maori moved away and the rubbish dump was established. The Houghton Valley School was created adjacent to the dump, and as the valley filled with trash, the area was flattened every few years to create a new playing field for the children. These changes left enormous environmental scars on the area.

“Dave decided when we first became involved with the project that it would be best for our students to focus on one area in the school so that future groups would see the legacy left from their GlobaLinks Learning Aboard predecessors,” said Gavin Murdoch, resident director in New Zealand and facilitator of the Challenge New Zealand Leadership Development program.

“For the last five programs I have been lucky enough to attend this project each time,” Murdoch says. “The way the day unfolds is that students know that there is a volunteer project that is a part of the program, and they generally have mixed feelings and different levels of excitement about the project. What this means is that they are not usually expecting this day to be one of the highlights of the program.”

In Hackney’s case, the program most definitely became a highlight of her time in New Zealand.

“Meeting David and envisioning his dream of creating a place where children and their families could enjoy one another while learning of their native land recalled for each of us our own childhood memories,” Hackney said in essay on her experience. “Remembering that we were only guests in New Zealand for a short time, we found ourselves jumping at the opportunity to put our youth into action.”

With hatchets and picks as their main tools for clearing the path, the Challenge New Zealand students worked together throughout the day to leave a bit of progress behind at the school.

“Each of us agreed that there was something special — almost magical — about working in the gardens,” Hackney said. “We knew long after our shovels were stilled and we returned home, a piece of us was sewn into that garden and would forever stay in New Zealand.”

Murdoch concurs.

“What happens at Houghton Valley School to our students may be sometimes more significant than the real work that they do,” he says. “They see a legacy and are a part of contributing to that. They meet an amazing man with a passion for doing something that will outlast him and that he will never receive any financial reward for and spend a few hours in the beauty for the outdoors in New Zealand doing something for someone else.”

Participants in Bridging Cultures Program Deliver 405 Lbs of Books to School in Fiji

Stacey — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:09:14 +0000

Group shot at Sote Village.

The shelves at Sote Village School in Suva, Fiji, are now chock-full of imagination following a donation of 405 lbs of gently used library books delivered last month by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

Members of the Mother's Club at Sote Village school stand near their new sink, installed by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad students.

The books, given by a primary school in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, were delivered during a February visit to Sote Village as part of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad’s Bridging Cultures Program for university students studying abroad in Fiji at the University of the South Pacific (USP). Students participating in past visits have planted gardens to supply lunch food for the children and painted classrooms.

The old sink at Sote Village school.

The most recent group of students not only delivered books that filled up a wall of shelves at the school; they also planted vegetables and shrubs and installed a new sink for use by the Mother’s Club for preparing food for the children.

Planting vegetables with the kids.

“The children don’t bring food to school,” said Kym Treacy, resident director, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad – Pacific Region. “The Mother’s Club cooks the food in a little area next door to where the children eat.”

Before the recent book donation, the school library consisted of books only on the top shelf.

The community service project is one of the unique programs offered by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

The visiting group of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad participants and staff presented the books to the headmaster and the teachers. The presentation was held on the group’s last day and the Village Preacher was also at the presentation.

A game of Duck, Duck, Goose with the kids.

Students helping in the classroom.

Otago Daily Times reports on University of Minnesota students on environmental short course

Stacey — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:30:21 +0000

Armed and ready with their lopping shears, a group of students from the University of Minnesota helps remove invasive wilding pines in New Zealand during an environmental issues short course through Globalinks Learning Abroad. Photo courtesy of Queenstown Resort College.

The Otago Daily Times this week is highlighting the volunteering efforts of 20 University of Minnesota students and an advisor participating in a three-week “Environmental Issues in New Zealand” course through GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

The students, who started in late December in Auckland and ended in Queenstown in mid January, helped remove the invasive wilding pines, a nuisance weed in New Zealand. The students also attended various lectures from the department of conservation and participated in many activities such as the following:

1. Tiri Matangi Island with guided interpretative nature walk
2. Gloworm caves in Waitomo
3. Hikes near Rotorua in the parks
4. Arthur’s Pass walks with the department of conservation
5. Franz Josef Glaciers
6. Milford Sound Tour
7. Queenstown Resort College lectures and volunteer project

A group of students from the University of Minnesota during their three-week environmental issues short course in New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Queenstown Resort College.

For more details on the students’ volunteer efforts, read the full article here.

Meet Jane Starke: Australian Student Ambassador and AustraLearn Alumna

Stacey — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:23:02 +0000

Inspired by her own experience studying abroad in the spring at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, U.S. student Jane Starke is now assisting in the Embassy of Australia’s efforts to encourage other students to study abroad in Australia as she did.

Jane Starke, an Australian Student Ambassador, meets a joey during her time in Australia.

One of 30 U.S. and Canadian students selected by the embassy for its Australian Student Ambassador Program, Starke, a 20-year-old elementary education major at the University of New England who studied abroad through GlobaLinks Learning Abroad’s AustraLearn program, will promote study in Australia through campus events, peer advising and online social networking.

Nominated jointly by their home and overseas universities, students selected to participate in the ambassador program have the opportunity to develop skills and attributes valued by employers and graduate schools, including public speaking, organization, and leadership. The Student Ambassador Program runs from August 2011 to May 2012 and student ambassadors are provided with event management training, a small budget to cover event expenses, materials and fun giveaways.

Here’s what Starke, from Merrimack, N.H., had to say about her upcoming student ambassador duties:

The 2011-2012 Australian Student Ambassador Program participants gathered earlier this month in D.C. The group includes AustraLearn Alumna Jane Starke (behind young man with hat), an elementary education major at the University of New England.

Q: Why did you decide to apply for the Australian Student Ambassador Program?

I had the absolute best six months of my life during my semester in Perth. It was an experience of a lifetime that I would not have found in Maine. I knew many people who were also interested in studying in Australia but backed up and were too afraid to go last minute. I want to help encourage students to take a leap of faith and experience new cultures and adventures.

Q: What kinds of activities will you be involved in as part of the ambassador program?

My responsibilities as a student ambassador are to be a support system and offer my advice to students who are considering to study Australia. Through the Australian Embassy I have been given a budget to hold a minimum of four events on my campus. These events will be Aussie themed and provide informational handouts, slideshows, powerpoints, and Q&A. I have already had multiple students approach me with study abroad questions, so I feel that my student ambassador role can help me channel these questions into an organized and developed information session.

Q: What do you hope to get out of the program?

I hope to help students get excited to study in Australia through seeing my experiences. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should not be passed up. Australia is such a majestic country that has so much to offer. I hope to motivate students to step out of their comfort zone and routines and try something new and refreshing.

Q: Do you have plans to study abroad again or work abroad after graduation?

Jane Starke meets one of Australia's iconic koalas during her spring study abroad experience at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia.

My study abroad experience has definitely impacted my long term plans. I am currently an elementary education major, but I would like to take that a step further and teach English abroad. I changed my perspectives about life to a much more global outlook and traveling will definitely be an important part of the rest of my life.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

As for my fellow student ambassadors. There are 30 of us in total (Americans, Canadians, and Australians) all of which just came back from Australia this past year. We all met at the Embassy of Australia in D.C. earlier this month. They were a enthusiastic and vibrant group of students, and I am looking forward to working together and brainstorming promotional materials.

Making Headlines: AustraLearn Volunteers In Australia Take Changing Plans In Stride

Stacey — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:21:12 +0000

Floods and Cyclone Mean Shifting Volunteer Efforts for U.S. and Canadian Students

“It’s been awesome so far,’’ said Katie Sherman from Michigan. “They’ve turned lemons into lemonade.”

From Australia’s Southern Star online

AustraLearn students planted trees last week as part of Conservation Volunteers Australia. Photo: Southern Star.

A once in a lifetime holiday to tropical North Queensland took a turn for the worse for a group of unlucky student tourists last week.
The Canadian and American university students were supposed to spend a week in Cairns doing some voluntary conservation work while also taking in the sights at the Great Barrier Reef.
Instead the group, part of study abroad program Australearn, were taken off their plane bound for Cairns on February 1 and ended up planting trees at a park in Salisbury.
Conservation Volunteers Australia took the keen environmentalists on and soon put them to work planting native trees at Maughan Park.
There were no hard feelings about the change of plans. The optimistic students took it all in their stride, enjoying kayaking on the Brisbane River and seeing native animals at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

Read full article here.

University Highlights: U of Otago Part of International Best Practices Network; Korea U. Volunteers Give IT Help in Uganda; Queen Mary Rises in Rankings

Stacey — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:48:46 +0000

New Zealand

University of Otago Helps Found Network of Select Universities

The University of Otago is one of the founding members of the Matariki Network of Universities (MNU), a select international group of outstanding universities. The seven founding network partners are: Dartmouth College in the USA; Durham University in England; Queen’s University in Canada; University of Otago in New Zealand; University of Tübingen in Germany; University of Western Australia in Australia; and Uppsala University in Sweden.

The MNU has been established to enable the universities to enhance diversity, share ideas and expertise, and learn international best practice from each other, recognizing the shared commitment to an ethos of excellence in research, scholarship and rounded education.

Members of the MNU have come together for a range of activities, including enhanced student exchange, development of joint postgraduate programmes, social responsibility projects, research collaboration, visiting fellowships, staff exchange and secondments, benchmarking and sharing of best practice, and cultural and sporting activities.

Of particular note, and in line with the theme of “Partnering for a better world,” an annual research meeting will be held with representatives from each member university, focusing on a topic of global importance.

South Korea

Korea University Volunteers Assist Uganda Schools With IT Needs

Korea University student volunteers recently gave IT assistance and donated computers to schools in Uganda.

The Global Leadership Center of Korea University recently returned home from Uganda, where it provided volunteer information technology services, a effort led by Director Kim, Byeong-gi and Dean Kim, Han-gyeom, with 10 students from Korea University participating.

The group stayed in Uganda for 12 days in August, visited four schools located in Masaka and Ntungamo in Uganda, donated computers made in Korea, and provided IT training to students. The group assisted two senior secondary schools, one secondary school and one primary school and presented each school with 10 computers and peripherals, a network device and a laser printer. The participants also donated manuals developed to help students use the computer, along with related training.

Last winter, the leadership center sent a volunteer group to the Philippines. This latest volunteer service in Uganda was carried out in cooperation with the KU Social Service Organization (KUSSO) and UN-GAID.

“I participated in this volunteer service because the past experience in the Philippines was very worthwhile,” said Jung, Jae-sung, a student in the department of information management engineering. “Most of the participants had never visited Africa before. However, the process of preparing for the service went very well. The social infrastructure in Uganda was much worse than what we had expected prior to our departure. Even in Kampala, the capital city, there was no Internet system available except at some locations such as luxurious hotels. The places we visited were small regional cities, so in many cases, computers were used for education-related programs rather than for the Internet.”

For this overseas IT volunteer service, Director Kim, Byeong-gi, worked in cooperation with UN-GAID, and the minister of the Ministry of Information and Communication in Uganda. Korea University donated 40 sets of computers used on campus, with volunteers installing computers and network devices in addition to conducting IT training. The group also shared with the schools traditional Korean games such as yut (yutnori), Korean shuttlecock (jegichagi), top-spinning (paeng-i-chigi), etc.

“For students in secondary schools, the fact that there was no Internet system may be depressing,” added student Jung, Jae-sung. “Nevertheless, they looked very happy. They visited the volunteers’ lodging and shared their dreams for the future. When we had to depart, a lot of them displayed tears. I miss them a lot.”

England

Queen Mary Moves Up World Rankings

Queen Mary, University of London, has ranked 120th in the Times Higher Education World Rankings, which places it as the 16th highest university from the U.K.

In addition, the QS world rankings 2010 show Queen Mary has moved into the top 150 universities in the world with a placement of 147, up 17 places from 2009. Other highlights include Queen Mary’s being listed in the top 100 for ‘Arts & Humanities’ and ‘Life Sciences and Medicine’ and being 54th in the world for its proportion of international students.

Studying, Teaching and Eating Squid

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:27:45 +0000

AsiaLearn Student Volunteers In Elementary School

By Kelli Modica

AsiaLearn Assistant Manager

Taylor Read, a St. Edwards University student, is currently studying abroad at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan through AsiaLearn with people from all over the world and helping spread multiculturalism in a Japanese elementary school.

Taylor Read likes to hit the trails for recreation while living in Japan.

For Read, studying in Japan just wasn’t enough. He wanted to explore all aspects of Japanese culture and also give something back to the community that was giving so much to him. So he started volunteering as an English teaching assistant at a local elementary school through the Japanese Education Company.

In this Question-and-Answer, Read describes this experience in Japan:

Q: Why and how did you get involved with the Japanese Education Company?
A: I want to get a job in the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) program eventually as a teacher in Japan, and I thought that getting some experience in the classroom would help me get to know the job a little better, plus I was curious about how schools in Japan function. I don’t have classes on Wednesdays this quarter, so I asked Michael Chang (AsiaLearn Resident Coordinator) if he knew of anyone hiring Japanese teaching assistants who could work on Wednesdays, and a week later I had the job.

Q: What exactly do you do at the school?
A: I’m an English teaching assistant in a sixth grade class at Kaku Elementary School. The program is made up of about 8 other APU students from different countries that all help teach English at Kaku. We help the English teacher teach while exposing the kids to different cultural aspects of our respective countries.

Taylor Read, right, enjoys dinner out with friends.

The director of the program is trying to encourage multiculturalism in the classroom and it seems to be working. The kids have a really fun time.

Q: Do you feel volunteering helped you engage more with the community and get more out of your study abroad experience? If so, how?
A: Yes I think so. I have a really great time at work and it is definitely allowing me to see aspects of Japanese culture I otherwise wouldn’t be able to. I came with a pretty intense curiosity about the way things are done in Japan and this experience is allowing me to see the classroom environment, which is interesting anywhere outside of one’s home country.

Taylor Read with a Japanese family.

Q: Tell us an interesting story or incident from your time with Japanese Education Company.
A: I didn’t really know what to expect on my first day on the job, so we get to the school and are walking through the halls, and I suppose I didn’t really anticipate being such a spectacle. But as soon as we walk in all the kids are peering out of their classrooms and yelling ‘Hello’ and running around in the halls acting very excited to see us. It is nice to be somewhere where everyone is really interested in you. It makes things a lot of fun.

Q: How do you think studying abroad and volunteering abroad will help you in your future endeavors?
A: Aside from the JET program looking really good on my resume, studying abroad has really opened my eyes to the vastness of the world. APU is filled with kids from all over the place, so I’ve been fortunate enough to be exposed to all sorts of different cultures. Before coming I thought I would only be around Japanese students, but I’ve met people from as far away as Finland. Now all I want to do is graduate and go travel the world. To me any experience in which you’re out of your comfort zone and learning new things everyday is a good one.

Read on a group hike in Japan.

Q: What was the most unique cultural difference you noticed in Japan?
A: I wasn’t prepared for the emphasis on cleanliness in Japan. It really took me by surprise. They’re is a lot of importance placed on being clean and living in a clean place. At first I had a really hard time figuring out how to work Japanese toilets. They’re surprisingly complex!

Q: Tell us any other interesting tidbits from your time in Japan.
A: I really like how friendly Japanese people are. In America, people like to kind of keep their heads down and very few will greet strangers. In Japan it’s quite different. Most times when you pass people on the street they’ll smile and say konichiwa, especially in smaller towns. If you ever happen to be near a Japanese person for an extended period of time – for instance on a train or in a bath house – they will always ask you questions about who you are and where you’re from. Japanese people are very friendly and very curious.

Fun Questions for Read:

Taylor Read and other students tour Japan.

1) What is the strangest thing you ate in Japan?
I’m kind of a go-getter when it comes to strange foods so I’ve been going out of my way to eat weird stuff over here. All sorts of squid and octopus both cooked and raw. Dried squid is now my favorite snack food. It’s a lot like beef jerky except squid. Lots of raw fish of course. I’ve also had raw horse, which is actually very good. My favorite Japanese food is unagi, roasted eel. It’s absolutely delicious and I recommend it to everyone.

2) How are your karaoke skills now?
I can say with complete confidence that I am one of the best karaokeists in Beppu. Maybe even all of Kyushu.

3) What’s your favorite Japanese TV show?
I really like Japanese game shows. If you ever want to see a bunch of grown men doing the absolute silliest things just turn on a Japanese game show. Japan also has the funniest, most entertaining commercials I’ve ever seen.

4) What’s your favorite thing to do on a Saturday afternoon in Beppu?
On a Saturday afternoon in Beppu I’m probably hiking up to one of the wild onsen’s in the area. It’s about a 45-minute hike through the beautiful, lush mountains of kyushu to get to big geothermal heated pool next to a little stream. There’s nothing better than relaxing in hot spring after a good hike.

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Korea University Group Delivers Coal Briquettes To Warm Homes And Hearts Of Low-Income And Elderly People

Stacey — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:02:23 +0000

KU Social Service Corps Lends Help And Hope For Third Year

A Korea University social service group called KU Social Service Corps earlier this month made special deliveries of coal briquettes, which are used to heat homes, and other life necessities to about 100 families and individuals in the Bupyeong area.

Students in the KU Social Service Corps joined together with KU Alumni of Incheon Economies, teaching staffs and KU President Ki-Su Lee to deliver about 3,600 pieces of briquettes, 10 kg of rice, 200 boxes of instant noodles, 100 packs of detergent, 100 sheets of calendars and other items to low-income and elderly individuals, according to a university news article.

Korea University is one of the largest, most selective and historic universities in Korea. For North American university students who want to study abroad in Asia, KU offers a variety of courses in all professional fields, with more than 40% taught in English.

“I am very happy to see that our small devotion and true heart was felt big to the receivers,” said student Seung-Jin Lee, a junior political science and international relations major at KU.

Since its inception in December 2007, the KU Social Service Corps has delivered briquettes every winter for three years for a total of 30,000 pieces delivered.

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Ontario’s Centennial College Setting For North American Launch Of Global Poverty Project

Stacey — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:20:54 +0000

Canada

Australia Connections Abound In “1.4 Billion Reasons” Presentation On Global Poverty Featuring Hugh Jackman

The Centre for Creative Communications at Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario, will present on Sept. 11, 2009, the North American launch of The Global Poverty Project‘s 1.4 Billion Reasons, a 90-minute slide show and film presentation based on leading research that articulates the facts of extreme poverty and demonstrates how everyone can be a part of the solution.

Australian Humanitarian Hugh Evans has founded The Global Poverty Project. Photo, Centennial College.

Hugh Evans, the 2004 Young Australian Of The Year and founder and former director of the Oaktree Foundation, an aid and development organization, has now founded The Global Poverty Project, a movement to take action to end extreme poverty.

“In the year 2000, 198 of the world’s leaders made a promise to improve the lives of the world’s poorest by 2015,” says Hugh Jackman, Australian actor and project advocate, in a video clip. “Nine years on, 1.4 billion people still live in extreme poverty. It’s time for us to re-energize this movement.”

The Global Poverty Project, which launched in July in Australia, also involves Chris Adams, co-founder of Participant Media and Executive Producer of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

For more information on the North American launch event, visit event details at Centennial College.

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First “Globe Trot” Raises Over $2,000 For The Foundation For Asia Pacific Education

Stacey — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:56:35 +0000

Globe Trot 2009 enthusiasts gather for a group shot after the Aug. 5, 2009, 5K fundraiser, which raised more than $2,000 for The Foundation For Asia Pacific Education, a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships for study abroad in Asia Pacific.

5K Event By GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Brings Together Runners, Walkers And Supporters Of International Education

And they're off! Trotters head out on the Big Dry Creek 5K course for the 2009 "Globe Trot" fundraiser.

Nearly 50 runners, walkers and fans of international education braved a sweltering August evening last week to trot out their support for scholarships for study abroad in the Asia Pacific region.

The first “Globe Trot” 5K fundraiser, organized by employees of Westminster, Colo.-based GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, raised more than $2,000 for the non-profit Foundation for Asia Pacific Education, which through fundraising provides scholarships for students to gain global experience by studying abroad in Asia Pacific.

"Globe Trot" participants push toward the finish line.

“We had a fantastic time at the Globe Trot and greatly appreciate the ongoing support of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad,” said Karen Brockwell, Foundation executive director. “We’re especially grateful for all of the effort put forth by the GlobaLinks Learning Abroad employees who organized the event and the many friends and family members who attended.”

The Aug. 5 “Globe Trot” took place at Big Dry Creek Park in Westminster, Colo., with a celebration afterward at Baker Street Pub & Grill. A GlobaLinks Learning Abroad team led by Rachael Garrison, Coordinator of Outreach and Student Services for EuroLearn, and Kimberly Tibbetts, Manager of Short Term Programs for AustraLearn, organized the event.

“Our office typically participates in a charity race in the area each year,” Garrison said. “This year we decided to organize our own event so that 100% of the donations would go to a cause that is meaningful to GlobaLinks Learning Abroad and our friends in international education.”

“Globe Trot” donations, which were taken both in-person and online on the Foundation’s web site, will further the organization’s efforts to address the void in funding for North American undergraduates seeking cultural and academic experiences in Asia Pacific.

Lindsey Lauman, Brianna Svoboda and Ashley Borden celebrate after crossing the finish line of the 5K "Globe Trot" fundraiser.

These students, in fact, are increasingly viewing study abroad, particularly in the many and diverse countries that make up the Asia Pacific region, as critically important to their educational foundations and a necessary step toward gaining better understanding of an increasingly interconnected world. At the same time, however, challenging economic conditions are making these goals even more elusive for many students.

“The Foundation’s mission is to create global leaders by assisting students in achieving their personal and professional goals of having an international education experience,” says Amy Deppe, Foundation executive director. “With the support of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, we can continue to provide funding to deserving students by awarding them scholarships.”

As events go, the level of support for “Globe Trot” made planning efforts very organic, Garrison added.

“A lot of people in our office helped to make this event happen, and we are all thrilled with how it turned out,” Garrison said. “We are looking forward to continuing this event in the future.”