Description

From high-tech industries to thousands of rural villages seemingly untouched by time, India encompasses both the dynamic forces of globalization and the deep-rooted traditions of an ancient culture, marked by a diversity encompassing a multiplicity of religions, ethnicity, political states, languages, and art forms. Pune, a medium-sized city of over three million, is located in the state of Maharashtra, and is home to numerous civic organizations dedicated to improving the situation of Indians living in both urban and rural settings. With areas such as public health, malnutrition, social issues, and environmental concerns all in the forefront of Indian life, students wanting to help make a direct impact have a rich assortment of organizations with which to get involved. With more universities and colleges than any other city in the world, and a dynamic cross-section embracing nearly all of the nation's religious, social and ethnic variety, the "Oxford of the East" is an ideal setting for students committed to positive social change in a vibrant, diverse location.

The ACM India Summer Program: Service Learning & Cultural Immersion is one of two ACM short-term summer opportunities. This six-week program takes students to Pune, India, where they will be immersed in Indian culture. A key component of the program is placement in a non-governmental organization (NGO) for the duration of the program. There will be a variety of projects available, in both urban and rural settings, and students will be actively engaged in service learning work throughout their time in India.

Upon arrival in Pune, students will have a ten-day Orientation period. This first week and a half will include intensive Marathi language instruction, introductory classes about Indian culture and history, and time to get to know the Pune area. While in India, students will have a home stay with a host family and/or an experience living in a rural village setting, further immersing themselves into Indian culture.

Highlights

* Academics

This summer service learning program is open to current students and recent graduates. For those students wishing to pursue academic credits, they may work with their college to pursue internship credits for the NGO work done with Maitri.

All students in the ACM India Summer Program will participate in several areas of study for the duration of the program:

Structured service learning experience with a non-governmental organization
(150-175 hours, 6-week option)
(225-250 hours, 8-week option)

Upon arrival to India, staff from our partner organization Maitri Pune will help introduce students to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and subsequently place students in a volunteer position at an NGO. Students will have the opportunity to visit Maitri projects addressing a variety of social issues, before their month-long placement with a particular project. In the first week and a half, students will visit projects and organizations in the city of Pune, giving them the experience of learning about NGO work in an urban setting, and identifying specific social issues in the city. Then, students will take a week-long trip to a village in the Melghat region, where they will experience NGO work in a rural setting. After this exposure to different types of NGOs and important local social issues, students will then be placed with a particular project for the duration of their stay, volunteering on a daily, full-time basis for the next month on an issue that is important to them. There will be daily and weekly structured reflection and analysis about their experience, and each student will have a mentor who will assist and guide them for the duration of their project. If a student is interested in getting internship or service learning credits from their home campus, they should work closely with their faculty advisor prior to participating in the program. They should also alert ACM, so staff can help assure that the student completes any requirements needed to qualify for credit.

Intensive Marathi language instruction
(8-10 hours)
Instructor: Dr. Sucheta Paranjpe, ACM India Studies Program Director, retired university professor of languages

During the first ten days of Orientation, students will participate in intensive languages classes in Marathi, the language spoken in Pune and the state of Maharashtra. Instruction will focus on functional Marathi, to help students learn how to communicate in everyday situations they will face during their time in India.

Classes on Indian History, Culture, Traditions, and Intercultural Awareness
(4-6 hours)
Instructor: TBD

During the first ten days of Orientation, students will have numerous classes learning about Indian culture, society, history, and politics. This will include local information about the city of Pune and the state of Maharashtra, as students also spend time exploring the area.

Field trips

Students will have the opportunity to go on various field trips throughout the program. These typically include a city tour and fields trips in Pune and the surrounding area.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Languages

• English

Subject Areas

• Asian Studies
• Public / Community Service Sciences

Cost in US$:

Contact sponsor

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Aids
• Health Education
• Nutrition
• Relief

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Transcript
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

2-3 weeks after deadline has passed

ACM - Associated Colleges of the Midwest's Mission Statement

The Associated Colleges of the Midwest, a consortium of residential liberal arts colleges, aims to strengthen its member colleges as leaders, and exemplars, in liberal arts education through significant, innovative, and sustainable collaborations. One key component of ACM is to provide exemplary liberal arts learning through a wide variety of off-campus study programs. Almost all of ACM's off-campus study programs around the world are open to students from any college or university.

Year Founded

1958