By Eric Hartman

The 2013 Forum on Education Abroad proved to be a fertile ground for learning about and sharing new resources related to global service-learning and Fair Trade Learning.

We presented pedagogy and community partnership content related to our book, Building a Better World: The Pedagogy and Practice of Global Service-Learning. That presentation is here.  Slide number ten features the use of Clatyon’s DEAL Model of reflection to advance intercultural learning before, during, and after an abroad program.

I also had the opportunity to hear an excellent presentation on community impact, community development, and partnership from Mark Ritchie of the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute. He called the audience’s attention to Eldis.org, an open-source space for research, resources and tools that support international development.

In another session focused on pedagogy, The University of Kentucky’s Anthony Ogden shared his helpful and especially well-organized online faculty toolkit for international education.  The toolkit supports faculty members’ efforts to foster meaningful intellectual and intercultural experiences for their students. Dr. Ogden, also the author of “The View from the Veranda: Understanding Today’s Colonial Student,” is offering an online education session on Wednesday, April 24th at 3 pm. Developed in collaboration with Melibee Global, it’s titled: The Decolonization of Education Abroad.

Finally, a broad array of faculty, administrators, and nonprofit partners collaborated to advance ideas and suggest best practices relating to community impact in global service-learning. Click the link to view a PDF of the session: Advancing Best Practices in Global Service-Learning. Slides 11 – 21 detail Amizade’s articulation of Fair Trade Learning.

We’re excited to continue to work with the Forum to further discuss standards development for community impact in international education, particularly when it includes service-learning  and other forms of university-community engagement.

If you’re interested in more resources, movement-building, work-shopping, and dialogue on global service-learning and university-community partnership, join us next month at the 6th Annual Cornell Global Service-Learning Institute, from May 29 – 31 in beautiful Ithaca, NY. I’m looking forward to the dialogue!