Penn State students from the Parks and People program in South Africa, connected with the students in Belfast, Ireland on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Both groups of students were given an article that provided a new perspective of global citizenship which generated deep and meaningful conversation. The two groups discussed commonalities and interconnectedness of both countries, as well as their personal reflections of how power and privilege impact studying abroad.
3/6/2016
Chelsea Watts
Please feel free to enjoy a short synopsis of our 1st day with Penn State Berks’ student, Chelsea Watts 1 Minute Blog.
Our students are split up into 3 groups and will be interacting with local youth at separate locations (Holy Family Youth Center, Ardoyne Youth Center, & St. Peter’s Youth Center). A portion of the trip has been spent educating our students on the services offered at each site. Our group has designed activities for each site that highlights American culture, heritage, and introduces the Belfast community to our University.
Penn State Berks students and staff had the honor to meet with the Lord Mayor, Arder Carson yesterday. The group enjoyed tea and learned about the Mayor’s interest in working with the youth in Belfast. For more information about what the Lord Mayor does, please feel free to visit the Belfast City Council site!
Fun Fact: The Lord Mayor has his own YouTube channel (blog). Penn State Berks’ visit on 3/7/2016 will be featured at a future date not determined. Stay tuned for updates!
3/6/2016
By: Brittney Schlechter
After a long night/day of travel, we have finally made our way to Belfast, Northern Ireland where we will be working with an organization called Youth Works all week. As part of our service, our 10 outstanding Penn State Berks students have been asked to come up with a variety of programs that highlight American culture for the youth during our visit. The programs they have developed range from sports to traditional American cuisine to games and activities. The students are expected to deliver a new program each night they spend at the youth center in order to provide an educational component to our visit in Ireland. Northern Ireland is still feeling the impact of a decades long conflict between the Catholic Republicans and the Protestant Loyalists. Due to this conflict, peace walls were erected to separate the two communities and keep them from becoming violent with one another. While this happened in the mid – nineties, residual effects of the conflict still exist. Many disadvantaged youth feel as though no one is invested in their lives or futures and, since the cease fire in 1994, Northern Ireland has seen a huge spike in attempted and completed suicides amongst Northern Irish youth. Our students hope to utilize this opportunity to show the Belfast youth that they care and that they want them to be happy, grow and prosper. In addition to their cultural programs, our students will be discussing consequences of one’s actions and taking responsibility for ones self with the youth in the hopes that those students on the fence will make more of an effort to make better decisions in the future.
After our service in the youth centers, our students will then be ‘boots on the ground’ in North Belfast, handing our blankets, sleeping bags and other food and supplies to the homeless spending their time on the streets.
I could not be more proud of these students and the efforts they have put forth to make this program a success! These students are hungry to make a difference with all of them citing excitement and motivation as their primary feelings towards this trip. They have spent countless hours on fundraising, class work and program preparation and I am exited to see all of their hard work pay off for them!
In addition to all of their service, Betsy Scarpaci has spent an enormous amount of time setting up this website and other social media platforms so that we can create global conversations around our service here in Ireland. We are hoping to connect with Parks and People, a group working with Penn STATE students in South Africa and have live conversations surrounding what it means to be a global citizen with other Penn State students studying across the globe. Betsy ‘ s efforts to make this experience one that is multi-faceted has been appreciated beyond words and I am honored to be working with her on this initiative.
Our students are expected to engage in daily reflection exercises during their trip which they will expand upon later this month for a final project they are expected to complete for the Alternative Spring Break course.
In all, a lot is being expected of our students in addition to jam-packed days of cultural education and service. However, they are excited and eager to learn and grow as individuals. I am very much looking forward to see the difference they make in those we serve as well as they difference they will ultimately make in themselves.