International Service Learning, Spain Professor: Sarah Melanson, Valencia College Students: Cristyne Ramirez, Cristal Badillo

Questions: What? Assisting English teachers in the classroom in a public school Where? Santander, Spain When? Summer A, 2016 Who? Four Valencia students (3 education majors, 1 psychology major) Why? How? The rest of the presentation will answer the last two questions

2013: My sabbatical Volunteering at the school I identified a need and had an idea

Port of Santander

My idea: Bring Valencia students to Santander to work in the classrooms, assisting the English teachers, designing games and activities to help the children practice English. How can this be developed into a study-abroad opportunity?

Steps/challenges Bringing administration on board Funding (different for short term vs. semester) Faculty development requirements Models for study abroad (short term vs. semester, service learning vs. internship) Utilizing local connections Recruitment/applications Travel arrangements Pre-departure meetings/orientations Timing 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 week options. # of credits. 8 st. minimum

Bringing administration on board Director of SAGE Two Deans Director of Internships Director of Service Learning

Professional development requirements Credentials for Education (UCF graduate school, two 3-credit classes). Spring and Summer 2014. Study Abroad Program Leader certificate (SAGE, 20 hours). Fall 2013. Credentials for ED were so that I could be faculty advisor for Education internship. In the end we did not offer this so I didn’t need to have taken those 6 credits.

Models for Study Abroad Short term study abroad vs. semester abroad Funding (set amount per trip vs. 1/3) Faculty role (faculty-led versus independent travel) Minimum number of students Internship versus service learning Credits: 80 versus 20 hours Pre-requisites Introduction to Education We made it a semester abroad (later it got changed to hybrid). 8 st. minimum, could not take 8 sts because school could not accept them. Could go with 1 or 2 or up to 4, more if they chose to go different weeks. 2 week minimum. Stil semester abroad if sts travel independently. It was decided to offer as both options. But it did not work out that year because of applications going through internships.

Utilizing local connections Juncal and Sarah, May 2015

Recruitment/Applications, fall 2015 Education classes VFE Study abroad fairs International Education Week EPI (not degree seeking, no scholarship) Applications: SAGE, internship, or Service Learning? Different requirements (pre-requisites, GPA, # of credits) EPI is Education Preparation Institute. We went with aplications through SL because had not worked previous year through iNternship.

Interviews, November 2015 Native speakers of English Passionate about working with children (but not necessarily Education majors) Ability to design activities and games Flexible, open to new ideas and ways of thinking Spanish not required

Travel arrangements At interview, students decided to go during the same four weeks and travel together. Hybrid short-term faculty led and semester abroad. Booking the flights. Ground transportation. Passports. Packing, airline luggage restrictions. By making it hybrid, sts then were included in short term for things like required orientations and also got bigger scholarship. Local connections helped with ground trnasportation.

Pre-departure meetings/orientations Required SAGE orientation Meeting in the EAP lab Contacts with Juncal and Teresa SLA book Information from host families Phone information

On our way!

In Santander Attend pre and post service orientations/meetings with school Hold weekly meetings with students (total of 4 meetings at local cafés and places of interest) Manage budget Help with questions about bus and train travel, phone plans Be ‘on call’ in case of problem Liase/coordinate between school director, Juncal, homestay families, students, and Valencia College Visit University of Cantabria to discuss this program and future collaborations

Vega and Mora Playa Liencres