The LiveLearning Program promotes positive social change by engaging learners of all ages in educational expeditions in partnership with international community-building initiatives.
We inspire both travelers and hosts alike to become responsible citizens and leaders, at home and abroad.
Visit a gallery of photos from our January 2008 expedition with the University of Vermont, and
images from our 2007 expeditions to the Dominican Republic and Peru.
The LiveLearning Program does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, creed, religion, color, sexual orientation, economic status or national origin.
Buckingham Browne and Nichols students find lessons and friendship in homestays and service-learning.
20 students from the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (BB&N) spent 11 days last June living, working and playing with members of a community in the Dominican Republic. The students and their families raised the funds for all the construction materials to build a home in the town of Batey Libertad. The students stayed in the homes of families in the town while helping to build the house. Much of their days were spent taking part in the daily life of the community, learning and sharing.
Said Katherine F., a sophomore on the program, "This trip was eye-opening in many ways. I realized how grateful I should be for all the comforts we have in the US, yet I also learned to recognize the insignificance of these material possessions. Although the people of Batey Libertad lived in harsh conditions, they had a strong sense of community and family not seen back at home... As I got to meet more people in the Batey, I realized that we were more similar than different despite the economic disparities between us."
Margot Caso, a Spanish teacher, was the driving organizational force within BB&N for this program. She contacted LiveLearning and asked for a curriculum that addressed her specific goals of intensive community interaction with opportunities to practice language skills, as well as engagement in a service project which was important to our community partner and provided opportunities for growth and learning in her students. "The program met all of my expectations, and then some," said Ms. Caso. BB&N is working with LiveLearning on plans for another service-learning program to Latin America in 2009.
Said Michael H., a sophomore who was previously inspired by the work of Paul Farmer and his medical work in Haiti and around the world, "This trip has made me seriously reconsider what I want to do in the future. Maybe I can be a doctor and help those in need…it's something I never would have considered if not for this experience. I did not think I was the kind of person who would be able to withstand that lifestyle. [But] I encountered that very lifestyle in Batey Libertad and I love it. I was sad to leave and I even feel as though I could stay much longer."
Winsor School Faculty introduced to International Service-Learning on a LiveLearning customized curriculum in Rio Limpio.
A task force of faculty from The Winsor School spent nine days in June on a course in the Dominican Republic. The group of eight faculty worked through the spring on customizing a curriculum that addressed their goals, in addition to meeting as a group to complete preparatory assignments. The "train-the-trainers" program in the northwest mountain village of Rio Limpio addressed topics including: an introduction to intensive, international service-learning, development of community partnerships, approaches for working with students and communities on cross-cultural service-learning projects, and how these contribute to fostering global citizenship among participants.
One Winsor faculty member said that the program "helped shift [our thinking] from the academic/theoretical to real life application." She continued: "It's extremely valuable for teachers and administrators to go through this training so we can plan service-learning that is much more meaningful. Cut down on the amount of trial and error learning that an institution may do with students by sending the adults first! In other words -- speed up the learning curve for the school!"
The 2007 and 2008 workshops drew educators from around the country and abroad, including Concord Academy, University of Kentucky, The Field School, Miami University and CIEE. This year's workshop is again being offered in conjunction with the NAIS, but educators from all levels and school affiliations are welcome.
This was one of the most well-organized, thoughtful, and psychologically challenging development opportunities I have experienced... Be prepared to work mentally a little bit more than physically and to learn how to balance the needs and questions of both the teacher and the student in all of us.
-- Jessica Melton, The Field School, 2007 Service-Learning Workshop participant
We will be accepting applications for the Expedition Facilitator and Service-Learning Expedition Facilitator positions in early mid-September, 2008. If interested in employment with LiveLearning, e-mail a brief cover letter and resume to info@livelearning.org, which we will review and keep on file. Thanks!
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