Dominican Republic
Karsten Cheng
Where: Cabrera, Dominican Republic
Field Study: 4 months, working at a school and helping to run a summer camp for the children there.
Organization: The Esperanza (Hope) Project with St. Jerome's Beyond Borders
This organization was "born out of a perceived need to provide a much needed supplementary education and extra-curricular program, giving individual students an opportunity to explore, create, and inspire, whilst empowering them to grow academically and socially, in a safe, supportive, hands-on learning environment" (Esperanza Project, n.d.)
El Salvador
Where: Perequin, El Salvador
Field Study: 11 months as teacher's assistant; working at a day care creating lessons, activities, and crafts as well as maintaining cleanliness and order in the classroom for ages 3-6.
Organization: SALT Program with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
Blog: http://mi-aventura-en-el-salvador.blogspot.ca/
I pursued field studies because I wanted to travel, have new experiences, meet new people, explore a new culture and learn outside of a textbook. I can safely say without hesitation I have done every one of those things and I am only 2 months in! My field study has been an awesome opportunity to use and share knowledge acquired in the classroom and has opened my eyes to learning in a whole new way.
Jamaica
Where: Kingston, Jamaica
Field Study: 11 months working with the Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights (IJCHR) and participating in the local mennonite church.
Organization: (SALT Program with Mennonite Central)
The last few days, I’ve been visiting the prison where the Haitian refugees are being held and doing interviews. Today my coworker and I interviewed 7 people between us, going from about 10:30-2 with no breaks. Today was especially intense for me because I did my own interpretation as I interviewed. I couldn’t always understand right away, but by asking a lot of questions and repeating back what I understood them to be saying, I got through the interviews. I was surprised that I could actually do it.
Peru
Diana Contreras: 4th year Spanish and Latin American Studies, Specialization in Spanish-English Translation / PACS minor
Where: Chiclayo, Peru
Field Study: 4 month intern, working with small-scale coffee producers and responsible for translating materials for PROASSA (Promoters for Sustainable Agriculture S.A.), a coffee exporting company and co-founder of the Café Femenino Initiative
Organization: Café Femenino (through Beyond Borders)
I worked closely with an organization whose primary goal is to improve the livelihoods of small-scale coffee producers and their families. Café Femenino is a brand of coffee produced entirely by women, created to provide women with the opportunity to improve their economic rights and their social conditions within the northern rural areas of Peru. Through this experience, I learned about the challenges that organizations, such as PROASSA (Café Femenino), face and the possible solutions that may be implemented.
Emily Mininger: 4th Year PACS student
Where: Urubamba, Peru
Field Study: 4 months as a volunter, teaching reproductive health at a local high school
Organization:Nexos Voluntarios
I went to Peru to discover if I wanted to continue pursuing a career in working with an NGO overseas, and my field study definitely gave me insight into what that career path would look like. Through this program, I was able to learn more about issues facing NGOs working internationally, the specific issue of reproductive health and the challenges faced by Peruvian youth, and what it's like to work abroad.