Service Abroad
Study Abroad works best, for both the student and the home university, when the student has been immersed into the local community as a critical part of the experience, working in that community to meet local needs, for mutual benefit.
If this does not happen, Study Abroad students might as well be merely passive spectators in a world that has become a theme park or a temple, 'in which the values of play, health, fun, travel, leisure and the American way, are sanctified in a painless liturgy that draws together entertainment, information, and an effortless hint of instruction'.
That is why, at Curtin, students from partner institutions are mentored by a local graduate to ensure their enculturation, and through required activities such as Community Service, become immersed in the local community. Such students are referred to as Service Abroad students, rather than study abroad.
Common to all programs currently running is the requirement for the service abroad students to meet with a local mentor usually on a weekly basis. This person is a recent and local graduate, who is not only savvy about university matters, both academic and social, but also ensures the students get the maximum cultural experience from their relatively short stay in Australia. In addition, each student has a senior professor who tracks their academic progress, and oversees any co-curricular requirements including the Service Learning activities outlined below.
The effect of this experience has a dramatic, positive and frequently life-changing effect on students, as well as providing significant career development outcomes for them.
For more information contact:
A/Prof. Werner Soontiens
Associate Director: Community Life
Phone: +61 8 9266 2957
Fax: +61 8 9266 3847
Email: W.Soontiens@curtin.edu.au
Building 599, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth WA, 6845
Useful links
www.asianstudytour.com
www.westernaustralia.com
www.scoop.com.au
