International Academic Service Learning in Cambodia

Cambodia, May 3 - May 17, 2012

Course Description

Service learning aims to connect the personal and intellectual, help students acquire knowledge in understanding the world, and build critical thinking capacities. This international service learning course will include a balance between service to the underprivileged Cambodian orphanage community and academic learning. Students will work in orphanages, schools, and villages and will have a direct relationship with people from various cultural backgrounds in Cambodia. They will visit health care institutions, social agencies, local governmental agencies, educational facilities, and cultural sites to enrich their view of the different health, social, and economic strata in Cambodian society. Students will have a direct relationship with people of Cambodia in providing health care and teaching to promote physical and mental well-being.

Country Profile

There’s a magic about Cambodia that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding kingdom. Ascend to the realm of the gods at the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat, a spectacular fusion of symbolism, symmetry and spirituality. Descend into the hell of Tuol Sleng and come face to face with the Khmer Rouge and its killing machine. Welcome to the conundrum that is Cambodia: a country with a history both inspiring and depressing, an intoxicating place where the future is waiting to be shaped.  Just as Angkor is more than its wat, so too is Cambodia more than its temples. The chaotic yet charismatic capital of Phnom Penh is a hub of political intrigue, economic vitality and intellectual debate.

Phnom Penh: the name can’t help but conjure up an image of the exotic. The glimmering spires of the royal palace, the fluttering saffron of the monks’ robes, and the luscious location on the banks of the mighty Mekong; this is one of Asia’s undiscovered gems. But it’s also a city on the move, as a new wave of investors move in, perhaps forever changing the character, and skyline, of this classic city. Phnom Penh is a crossroads of Asia’s past and present, a city of extremes of poverty and excess, of charm and chaos, but one that never fails to captivate.

Faculty

This course is taught by Clinical Assistant Professor Maureen Tippen from the Nursing department.

Eligibility & Prerequisites

  • Juniors and seniors, and Graduate students are eligible to apply
  • All majors are eligible to apply
  • Minimum GPA requirements 3.00 GPA (undergraduates); 5.00 (graduates)

Course Profile

This is a 3-credit course being offered in the Spring 2012 term.  Students are required to register for one of the following courses:

  • INT 394 - Special Topic in Study Abroad (undergraduate)
  • INT 594 - Special Topic in Study Abroad (graduate)
  • NUR 381 - Directed Study-International Service Learning (undergraduate)
  • NUR 499 - Directed Study-International Service Learning (graduate)

Costs

The cost of this program is $2,000.  This includes

  • Visa
  • Housing
  • Occasional meals
  • Health Insurance
  • Cultural Activities

There is a $300 enrollment deposit required at the time of application.  Students are required to submit full payment of program fee by March 9, 2012.  To determine an estimate of all costs, please click here to download a sample budget form.

NOTE*: Not included in the program fee: Tuition charges, airfare, passport, immunizations

Deadlines

Application deadline: December 16, 2011
50% of program fee: February 17, 2012
Remainder of program fee: March 9, 2012

Cancelations & Refunds

Students who withdraw on or before February 17, 2012 are eligible to receive $200 from the enrollment deposit. Any withdrawals must be done in writing and submitted to the Office of Study Abroad. There will be no refunds after February 17, 2012. Students who withdraw after February 17, 2012 will be responsible for paying the full program fee.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to eligible students.  To learn more and apply, please visit Study Abroad Scholarships.

Apply Here!!!

For more information:

Professor Maureen Tippen
Department of Nursing
2180 William S. White Building
(810) 762-2420
mtippen@umflint.edu

* Fees are subject to change due to currency exchange rates

International