In-Country Projects / Yale University Presentations

Global Awareness in Action programs are designed for students who want to examine a critical global challenge in the context of a nation or community’s efforts to fashion effective responses. They strive, as one participant said, to “put a face on” global issues that they have heard and read about but which they can only fully understand through first-hand experience. Students return from intensive in-country projects to make culminating presentations at Yale University during the last two days of the program.

The Programs

Each Global Awareness in Action program has an issue focus which students explore through group activities, informal field research, and hands-on work in relevant service projects. They examine public health issues like the struggles presented by HIV/AIDS, and world issues ranging from sustainable development to social and environmental challenges. In addition, each student does independent research on an aspect of the larger program issue that most interests him/her. For example:

• In Rwanda, students explore how the nation has emerged from its horrific recent past to build model programs in public health and ethnic reconciliation.

• In El Salvador, the group participates in grassroots community development projects, such as producing on-air broadcasts at a youth-run radio station, that addresses the challenges of poverty.

• In Cambodia, students develop an in-depth understanding of the challenges facing children by working at an orphanage and at an urban school serving a squatter settlement.

Creating the Global Community – Yale University

During their time in-country, students collect information, impressions, questions, and conclusions and work to shape these into a cohesive presentation. Through short multimedia sessions at Yale University during the last two days of the program, each group presents its experience and findings to all of the others. Afterwards, in a more extended session, each group examines its issue focus in greater depth for an audience of their families and other interested persons. A key aspect of each of these focused sessions is an examination of opportunities for future action that will ensure students’ continuing involvement in efforts to respond to some of the world’s most serious challenges.

Global Awareness in Action programs demand exceptional commitment and maturity on the part of group members. For their application essay, students must submit 300-500 words describing their interest in the area and themes they wish to pursue, along with their relevant community service and/or academic background. While these are not primarily community service programs, participants can expect to perform between 20 to 40 hours of service and will receive a certificate reflecting this upon successful completion of the program. Living conditions in the communities we visit are simple, and the challenges these communities face are constantly evolving. Global Action members must be tough, adaptable, and enthusiastic about taking advantage of unforeseen opportunities. All programs, except Vermont begin in New York and end at Yale University.