Students on the latest service-learning course will travel from Arkansas to Australia to take part in Trekking Australia: Animals, Aboriginal Culture, Rainforests and Reefs. Led by faculty members Kathi Jogan and Lisa Wood, the Intersession course is scheduled to run from 5-16 August 2024.
Trekking Australia: Animals, Aboriginal Culture, Rainforests and Reefs will give students the opportunity to not only immerse themselves in Australia’s flora and fauna, but also to dive into the Great Barrier Reef by snorkelling.
“Students will be involved in two service learning projects during our visit to the Great Barrier Reef,” Jogan explained. “They will collect data on microplastics on a beach to be entered into the Australian Marine Debris Database. They will also learn how to conduct a full reef health assessment, which they will do while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. The information collected will be entered into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority database.
The remarkable work of reef conservation will be one of several stops on the map for the students. “Another service-learning project the students will be involved in is at Billabong Sanctuary,” Jogan said. “Billabong is a leader in conservation and known for its commitment to animal welfare. After learning about native species, students will identify and build enrichment items for various animals including dingoes, wombats and crocodiles! Students will then be able to observe the animals interacting with the enrichment items they have created.
Trekking Australia: Animals, Aboriginal Culture, Rainforests and Reefs is the first Australian study abroad course to be designated by the Service Learning Initiative.
“We are thrilled to continue to expand service learning opportunities in partnership with Study Abroad,” said Lisa Bowers, Director of the Service Learning Initiative. “Coordinating a global learning experience with community partners is a powerful combination of two high-impact practices known to facilitate positive academic outcomes. We could not be more excited to offer this new course with a service learning designation to students this coming August.”
The application deadline for this course is 1 February 2024, and early application is strongly encouraged. Visit the Hogs Abroad portal for more information about this course. Visit the Service Learning Initiative website to view a list of all designated courses and to learn about the requirements for a course to be designated as service learning.
