Location:

Kingston, Jamaica

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Summer

Program Overview

Program Description:

All students explore the history, culture and socio-economic development of Jamaica, and each student then engages in more focused study of an area that links her/his interests with issues identified in the field. Students provide service two to three days a week at community-based sites, supporting projects in the following areas: computers/information technology in basic schools; alternative schooling for pregnant teens; early intervention and therapeutic recreation for children with disabilities; sustainable agriculture; and public health/sanitation.

The program focuses on international service learning and pro-poor development. Students take two integrated courses that teach them theories and practices of service learning and community development and involve them in service projects designed in partnership with community-based organizations.
 

Setting Description:

The program is based in Yallahs, in the Parish of St. Thomas, and students are also placed at service learning sites in Morant Bay, the Parish capital, and other nearby locations. One of 13 administrative divisions in Jamaica, St. Thomas is located at the southeastern tip of Jamaica, about 20 miles east of Kingston, the Jamaican capital. Yallahs is a small town of 12,000 people that is best known for the jerk food (a local specialty) vendors in the main square and the “Salt Ponds,” large bodies of very salty water between the sea and main land, that are a site for bird migration and change color at different times of the year. Although this parish has its share of natural beauty, it is not a Jamaican tourist destination; it thus offers the opportunity to experience Jamaica as a country and not only as a beach resort.

Additional Program Information

Scholarships:

Yes