Greetings Readers:

I recently returned from an exhilarating trip to Arizona, where I had the opportunity to facilitate a doctoral student panel on Fair Trade Learning and present a session on thinking through international community partnerships. This was all part of Prescott College’s 5th Annual Sustainability Symposium, an event which provided substantial deep reflection on our relationships with one another and the earth.

Four Fair Trade Learning doctoral students presented a session on their application of FTL principles to a community partnership in Vieques. Take a look at the presentation here.

Following that session, I pulled together some of the literature on service-learning partnerships, community development, and international development to facilitate a session on Just Community Partnerships. As that session ended, we reflected on partnership strengths and challenges by using the rubric developed by Rich Slimbach in International Education Program Design for the Common Good. 

I’m looking forward to seeing the application and strengthening of these materials and more as we move toward the 6th Annual Cornell Global Service-Learning Institute, coming up next week! There are several additional contributions that will soon come to the blog, including:

• Lehigh University N.E.H Distinguished Professor of Sociology Judith N. Lasker, sharing insights from her current research on international volunteer programs that are specific to public health. Dr. Lasker has focused on community impact and perspective. 
• Central College German Professor Amy Young, reflecting on how domestic spring break programs may yield experiences and insights similar to the international variety.
• Providence College Senior and Fulbright Scholar Annie Wendell, considering what she learned from a senior thesis that examined student experiences in course-based and co-curricular ASB programs.
• And much more!