Examples of Good Practice from Drew University

Drew International Seminar

The Drew International Seminar (DIS) takes groups of students to destinations around the world for field study during the January and summer recesses. The DIS program encompasses a pre-departure course and re-entry activities in addition to several weeks of international travel. The pre-departure course is a rigorous study of the topic related to the DIS. While abroad, participants further explore the topic within the context of the culture in which they are immersed. Recent DIS sites include Cameroon, Egypt, China, Peru, France and Greece where students explored issues related to conservation biology, immigration and globalization, economic development and its impact on the environment, and the role of international and voluntary non-government aid organizations in assisting refugees.

The DIS to Cameroon focused on grass roots development and microfinance. The pre-departure course examined modern international development from its beginnings after World War II to the present day. Students also organized fund raising activities to support projects in Cameroon requiring them to articulate a compelling case to potential donors. In Cameroon, students visited a variety of ongoing small-scale development projects (village schools, health clinics, farming cooperatives, etc), and immersed themselves in a single project during a home stay. Students also researched and developed new project proposals.

Upon returning to Drew, the students acted as a foundation board and used the funds they had raised to fund several of these new projects. Once the projects are completed, the class will meet again to assess the outcomes.

This page is part of a series of Examples of Good Practice.