30 Days of Service Activities During the Autumn and Winter Terms, Combining Online and Field Practicum
Twenty-one students who participated in the 30-day service-learning practicum during Autumn and Winter terms gave their final presentations on Friday, March 12, and successfully completed the practicum. This was the first time for the students to participate in the "in-school term parcticum" and the "combination of online and on-site practicum". The students tried to consider carefully their class hours and extracurricular activities, negotiated with the host institution and adjusted their schedules. In addition, while on-site practicum was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to combine online practicum with on-site practicum during Autumn recess to create a new type of service-learning experience.
Students were able to serve a variety of sites, from institutions with which ICU has a longstanding relationship to new ones that students discovered through their own search for activities that match their interests. For example, there were activities to promote peace in Nagasaki (creating a poster on the Nuclear Weapons Convention for ICU students), social networking and crowdfunding activities for an educational support NGO in Bangladesh, educational activities using IT (SNS, blogs, PR design, etc.) for an environmental NPO, and activities to promote awareness of the goal of zero waste. We also worked with students from Middlebury College in the U.S. on a project to explore the history of Japanese American internment (researching related museums, translating materials, etc.).
FINAL PRESENTATION (abstract) *Click on the image to enlarge.
From students' voices, there are: "I learned that it is important to understand the purpose and objectives of the organization, and to participate in activities proactively with a sense of ownership," "I found the importance of communication within the team, such as attending meetings regularly and asking for help when in need," "I would like to establish a student organization to sustain our activities," and "I would like to take a multifaceted approach to environmental issues both on and off campus in the future."
In the past, a relatively large number of ICU students have participated in overseas programs, but with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing them from traveling overseas, a large number of students have been involved in domestic activities. We aim to develop a new ICU service-learning program with students who are aware of the Japanese society around them that they did not actually know about, who are aware of their relationship with the society to which they belong, and who are willing to take on activities that can be done even in the face of the pandemic.
* We have issued a brochure to introduce community service-learning. Please click here to see.