SLS-7d1 Regular Academic Exchange with a Service-Learning theme

Initially, we thought we could piggy-back the Service-Learning Exchange Program on top of the existing out-bound academic exchange program that PolyU has been running for many years.  If we can identify an outbound student who (1) is committed to service-learning and have demonstrated a solid preparation by doing well in the compulsory SL subject, (2) is exchanging at a prestigious university with a strong SL program, and (3) is planning to, or happy to integrate into their exchange a suitable SL course or project at the exchange university, then we can fund the student’s exchange trip.  

The SL Exchange program opened for applications from November 2015.  One student, Li Qiang Gabriel, was then sent in Spring 2016 to Cornell University, a prestigious Ivy League school with a long and illustrious program in service learning. Gabriel joined the GALLOP program in New York City, through which he supported children and adults who were participating in a therapeutic horsemanship program. Another student, Li Luoqi Erin, went to the University of Maryland at College Park.  Erin participated in the “Terps for Change” program and served the elderly in Washington DC, including conducting maintenance around their residences.  Having thus gained valuable experience in the established and comprehensive community engagement scene in the USA, when they return to Hong Kong, they participated in a number of post-exchange activities such as modifying assistive technology games for the elderly in nursing homes to reinforce their memory and encouraging their body movement, and disseminating their experience to other PolyU students via different media.  

In the following year, Paul Szeto went to Lund University in Sweden, where he joined two programs.  The Greenhouse Educational Ecosystem focuses on implementing a sustainable and ecological Naturalistic Design in open spaces in Sweden, while Lund Food Saving aims to reduce food waste, share food, educate food production, raise awareness about food waste, revaluation of food.  Upon returning to Hong Kong, Paul set up an online platform for redirecting unsold food from restaurants to people who need them. His community service and entrepreneurial spirit was a key reason for his receiving an outstanding student award from the Faculty of Business.  

We have successfully sent several students on service-learning exchange through the regular academic exchange route, and they have made an impact with their service-learning experience overseas.  Unfortunately, the reality is much harsher than we anticipated originally.  Each of the 3 conditions required is not overly difficult to meet.  But the intersection of the 3 conditions together turns out to be quite small.   Many of the students who apply for overseas exchange may not have service-learning as their original purpose, and they may not choose their university with service-learning in mind.  Even if the student is keen and the university is strong in service-learning, it may not be easy to find a program that meets the needs of our student, and the program will certainly not be purposely-designed for our students.   This serendipity-based approach is just not working in the scale that we anticipated.