SLS-9c1b Joint SL projects in Rwanda and Cambodia - digital leadership

Leadership and Service-Learning education complement each other quite naturally. Our collaboration with the University of Maryland team also cover both elements.  In 2016, we followed up with the joint teaching of leadership in Spring with a joint service-learning project in summer in Rwanda.  In 2017, the joint project took place in summer in Cambodia. The Service-Learning project was designed to challenge the student to practice and internalise what they learned from the leadership modules.  From another perspective, the leadership modules prepare the students to tackle and learn from the SL projects more effectively.  Combined together, the two elements prepare the students to be leaders in the digital world.  

In summer 2016, two Maryland teachers came with 3 students to join the PolyU students in Rwanda.  The Maryland Team worked with one of the PolyU Teams which set up a community learning centre, with home-made computers, solar panels to provide electricity, and servers to provide learning materials.  The joint team then ran workshops to train local youths in the use of the computers at the learning centre.   In the process, the joint team practiced working together as a team, with members from very diverse backgrounds.  They practice dealing with numerous cross-cultural issues.  At one point, PolyU students felt pressured, even intimidated by the Maryland students, with their directness in expressing opinions and earnestness in advocating their ideas.  Those are exactly what may be considered “teachable moments” when teachers can help the students understand some of the cultural differences and to find appropriate ways to handling such situations.  The students are most receptive in those moments when the need is imminent. The learning is vivid when the solution can be applied and validated immediately with real consequences. Such lessons make a deep impact when the students are emotionally invested.  

PolyU students took the lead in the community learning centre project, particularly with the more technical aspects such as the assembly of the home-made computers, installation of the network, and setting up of solar panels.  This was mainly because some of the PolyU students major in computing, and the extensive training and preparations for the PolyU team prior to the trip to Rwanda.  On the related project of studying the needs of the community and the impact of the projects, the Maryland students took the lead - as their course was more concerned about cross-cultural leadership.  Behind the scene - and sometimes in front - the two sets of teachers worked hard to ensure mutual understanding and respect between the teams. Overall, the two groups of students complement each other well, and learned much though the practical challenges.  

In summer 2017, the two Maryland teaches took 5 students to join the PolyU students in Cambodia.  This time the focus was the setting up of a community learning centre out of a recycled 20-feet cargo container. It took place on the grounds of a primary school at a village in Kampong Speu province, roughly 70 kilometres outside of Phnom Penh.  The school has 3 very basic classrooms, without running water and off the electrical power grid.  The students joined with local volunteers to pain attractive murals on the cargo container.  They made science-themed tables.  They installed a water collection system feeding into a 500 litre water tank.  They set ups solar panels on the roof, and wired up the inside with lights and fans.  They set up books and computers, …  They built a science-themed playground.  

There is something about humans using their hands to make things that is deeply satisfying.  We do have to be careful that the students are not just engaged in mundane labour. Humans have a need to create.   While designing and making science-themed furniture, the students enjoy exercising their creativity in making something that can help the local children appreciate science in a tangible, personal way.  The provision of electricity through solar panels, of course, continues to be particularly gratifying because the impact on the lives of the villagers and the children are so vivid, immediate, and long-lasting.