Global Learning through Partnered Inquiry
Abstract
This session presents a model of international education based on civic engagement, reciprocal community partnerships and the teaching of critical global issues in partnership with organizations and institutions in the developing world. A cornerstone of the model is the fieldwork component of the program linking student inquiry with mentorship from local organizations.
The goal of this session is to present a model of international education as a “global ecology of learning” based on civic engagement and reciprocal community partnerships. As such, it also presents a model of teaching critical global issues in partnership with organizations and institutions in the developing world. In this model, local communities and institutions are partners in learning in ways that transcend the formal parameters of academic knowledge and provide applicable research to the health, environmental, social justice, and development challenges of local communities. A cornerstone of the model is the fieldwork component of the study abroad program which links student inquiry to community organizations and mentorship from local knowledge resources. Students work with local organizations and mentors on local problems, relying on local knowledge as the basis for solutions to pressing needs and community concerns. Many students find this experience a profound and enlightening experience of learning that critical global issue research is most valuable when it is oriented to the needs and practical solutions of developing communities.