Service-Learning in Action

[from April 21, 2010]

Today was a really full day, full of new and interesting challenges. This study tour was designed as a service-learning trip. This means that one of the main goals is to learn about the people and culture through actually working on a project in the community. But service-learning doesn’t start and end with a single project. It is not just about the sole act of planting a tree, building a room, or working on a farm. It includes all of the learning that happens ahead of time to understand the cultural context, as well as all of the reflection and processing that needs to take place during and afterwards in order for participants to make sense of the project in context.

Up until this point on our trip, the teachers have become familiar with Dominican history, culture, people, and traditions. For four days, they have been immersed in Dominican life and have learned about the context in which they are to complete this service project. They have been living with families and learning about the challenges that the DR faces and the opportunities that are ready to be seized. They have gained insight into how the history and politics of the country affect learning in schools and the efficiency of the education system. They have lived “Dominican Time” and seen how relationships are what get things done in communities here. People who know people can make anything happen.

We have done readings about the DR and about effective service-learning and realize that there are so many components to a successful service-learning experience. In no small way, we have seen just how important relationship building is to a successful project and how difficult it is to plan such projects ahead of time. The DR is a place where things happen in person. Despite planning by phone and email, opportunities arise when you are face-to-face with someone. So when we arrived Tuesday night, we heard that there was a neighborhood school that was in pretty bad shape, but that they were trying to clean things up. They indicated an interest in a school garden—one that could beautify the school and also allow the kids to participate in its maintenance after our departure. We only have two days here, so we wanted to get to work right away. The school director showed us around and a couple of community members weighed in on which site at the school would allow for the most fruitful garden. With that information, we worked with our Dominican hosts to gather tools, supplies, and manpower to begin the project.

By 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, we had worked together with kids to prepare the plot and get the bed ready for planting. But this is where we experienced the challenge and the importance of relationships and community. We took advantage of an opportunity that was presented to us and listened to the needs of the community in the moment—the school wanted a garden. The director knows us, trusts us, and was excited to have us there. But she didn’t have enough time to get the teachers and students on board, so our arrival felt very much like a surprise to the community. Unlike the other two schools where we were not only expected but anticipated, our arrival at this school felt mildly uncomfortable. But the teachers handled the situation well and thought on their feet about the best way to get the community on board so that the garden project would be more sustainable than having a group come in and build it FOR the community.

They decided that during recess, they would engage kids to help out with cleaning the garden bed and clearing trash. Some students had a class period free to come out and work for longer, so together with students and a couple of community leaders, we worked quickly and efficiently. Other tour participants took to the classrooms and went room to room with the director to explain to teachers and students the role of the garden and how important it is for them to care for it and for them to keep their school beautiful. Other teachers still did trash pick up with other students and talked to them about the importance of keeping the school clean. Trash disposal is such a difficult issue because it’s not culturally engrained to not litter. We reflected on how many years of anti-litter campaigns we were exposed to growing up and how over long periods of time, that kind of reinforcement is what changes a culturally engrained act. So we realized that our efforts today were small and part of a much bigger process that needed to take place in order for students to care for the garden and keep it clean. But we hope that tomorrow, when we plant seeds with kids and finish the garden, that the community will care for it into the future.

When we returned to Yolanda’s house, we had some time to process the experience and really identify what the many factors are that make for a successful service-learning project. We also talked in depth about what “success” really means…for each of us something different. In looking at our project today, we realized that having the community on board, having a trusting relationship with the school leader, having Dominicans involved in every step of the process from goal-setting to completion, and being established in the community are all elements that contribute to an effective project. The teachers did an amazing job of reacting in the moment and making the best of a challenging situation, where not all of these elements were present. In our reflective discussion afterwards, we talked about how this is the first step in a longer process of relationship building. Now that we have made connections in the community and people know who were are, we think that future trips will benefit from these efforts and can build on and improve the service-learning model. It gave us pause to think of the many service groups or even non-governmental organizations that work in countries abroad with the intention to help, but just how complicated it is to design and implement a project that makes sense on all levels.

We will return to the school today to finish the garden and then spend time with our families in the community. We are happy with the result of our efforts, but have a deeper appreciation for and understanding of the opportunities and challenges of service-learning. We hope that by sharing this experience, it also causes you to think about what service means for you in your own lives.

Photos: 1) Groundbreaking for the garden at the local school in San Cristobal, 2) kids, teachers, and community members working on the garden, 3) Julia dlT and Milo cleaning out rocks from the garden