Service Learning Program

“Establishment of the CSRL through a significant gift from a generous couple has allowed the College to provide an opportunity for our students, staff and faculty to be engaged in addressing issues of poverty and hunger on a global scale. Engagement in these issues provides a new perspective that deeply changes their future educational and work experiences.”

- Wendy Wintersteen, Dean, Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

The CSRL Service Learning program is available to Iowa State and Makerere University students providing them with practical cross-cultural experiences and an opportunity to improve the lives of the rural poor in Uganda.

The Service Learning activities take place at two primary schools, Namasagali and Nakanyonyi, and serve several purposes. In 2007 school children were taught practical agricultural skills through their work in the school gardens and were enabled to share that knowledge with their parents and families. The school gardens, in which grow bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, fruits, and vegetables, also contribute to the nutritional content of the existing school lunches. The school garden program at Namasagali Primary School is progressing well, and further work is being done to develop the Nakanyonyi school garden.

All students and faculty who have participated in CSRL's service learning projects have been profoundly impacted by their experiences .

CSRL Program Activities 2007: Service Learning and School Gardens

Objectives:
  1. Enable 6 ISU students to enhance their international perspective through service in Uganda and in collaboration with Makerere University (MU) students, gaining experience working in diverse cross-cultural teams
  2. Understanding complex issues surrounding crop production, hunger, poverty, water, and health, and how these impact education and lives of elementary school children

Approach:
  1. Service activities respond to needs identified by the local community
  2. Learning process is centered upon integrative learning and reflection

Resources:
  • Primary — Two ISU and one MU faculty members, six ISU and four MU undergraduate students, one ISU graduate student (preparing future faculty), one ISU Foundation staff, VEDCO staff and volunteers, CSRL Program Coordinator
  • Secondary — Primary school teachers, primary school students

Activities:
  • 2005 — Preliminary site visits to existing school gardens and government ministry staff
  • 2006 — (a) Teach agriculture classes at one local primary school; (b) help develop a school garden as an outdoor laboratory; (c) help integrate each school's garden with its lunch program; (d) demonstrate agricultural suitable crops and practices
  • 2007 — (a) support activities at the first primary school; (b) initiate activities at second primary school; (c) conduct outreach in the community on food, agriculture, health

Outcomes:
  • 2006 — Pupils in grades 4-6 in the school were taught science and agriculture; gardens of cassava, bananas, groundnuts, vegetables, and grain amaranth were established
  • 2007 — Caloric intake of pupils in the participating school was increased; greater variety in school lunch items

Lessons Learned:
  1. Target additional resources for primary school students is important
  2. Develop `projects' that relate to the school garden and are taken into the community. Students could work directly with farmers/families on a topic and then teach the same topic in the curriculum at school (thus `integrating' their work)

Challenges & Questions:
  1. Housing in rural areas limits the number of students (ISU and MU) participating
  2. Understanding with VEDCO that program includes `workers' and not `visitors'
  3. Development of understanding within VEDCO families that ISU/MU students may work within community
  4. Appropriate if students work with families not supported by VEDCO but their children attend the primary school

To learn about how you can participate in a Service Learning project or if you are interested in becoming involved with the Service Learning Program in other ways, please contact the Center.