Dominica ServiceLearning Project

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Dominica Service-Learning Project

• Building on Rel 200 and Edu 303

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Purpose of the Program

• An opportunity to put our education to work
• to put into practice what we learn during the
  academic year
• to help other people
• An opportunity to learn
• for Le Moyne students to experience a third world
  culture and formulate strategies back home to
  work for social justice. An interdisciplinary
  experience.
• for Dominicans to get to know Americans in ways
  other than through the media

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What will we do?

• Service Projects
• Visit the elderly
• Construction
• Work with handicapped children
• Teach in elementary school, high school, and
  vocational school
• Work in a womens cooperative
• Work in elementary schools
• Work in vocational school
• Work in pre-school
• Reflect upon the experience

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Academic Component

• Challenge to consider differences in particular
  cultures and the values contained in those
  cultures.
• Develop personal relationships with those who
  come from different ethnic, cultural, and
  linguistic backgrounds.
• Implement the model known as the ABCs of
  Cultural Understanding and Communication
  (Schmidt, 1998). The model involves a five step
  process
• Consider the theology of Pierre Teilhard de
  Chardins The Divine Milieu.
• Classes of one hour once daily in Dominica
• Earn 1 credit hour

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Classes

• During class times we will be sharing experiences
  and insights and relating these to our present
  and future lives as citizens of the world.
• In order to enhance the multicultural analysis,
  the class will discuss The Divine Milieu by
  Pierre Teilhard de Chardin with the following
  goals in mind

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Goals

• achieve an understanding of one model of
  Christian cosmology that has a direct impact on
  human culture
• dialogue with and critique that model
• consider the practical implications of that model
  in light of the multicultural experience of
  Dominica.

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Dominica

• The Commonwealth of Dominica
• Area slightly more than 4X the size of the
  District of Columbia
• Population 72,514 (July 2008 est.)
• Languages English and French Creole
• Per capita Gross Domestic Product US3,790 (World
  Bank, 2006) U.S. is 45,800 (2007 est.) Haiti
  is US 480 (World Bank, 2006)
• Unemployment rate 23 (U.S. 6.1)
• Population below the poverty line 30 (U.S. 12)

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Living Arrangements

• Youth Centre in Roseau
• Parish Center in Portsmouth

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Where is Dominica?
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Map of Dominica
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Roseau
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Roseau
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Roseau
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Portsmouth
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Earthquake 2005
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Hurricane Dean (August 2007)
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Community Life
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Class
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Fun
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Covenant

• Simplicity of Life and Cultural Sensitivity
• Promotion of Justice
• Community Life
• Spirituality

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Expenses

• Totals for 2007
• Total for 11 people 11,311.64 (1028.33 per
  person).
• Major expenditures
• 860 donations (6,450 in 2005)
• 7,599.95 airfare (6,019 in 2005)
• 938 food (720 in 2005)
• 1340 lodging (1280 in 2005)
• 220 exit tax (240 in 2005)

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Fundraising

• On Campus
• Sell refreshments at the senior play
• A contest of some sort
• Raffle
• Off Campus
• Churches
• Local businesses
• Clubs (Rotary, Lions, Knights of Columbus)