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MARY WARD LORETO is planting hope with a human rights approach to combating modern day slavery. This challenging mission is implemented through works of justice, education, grass roots action and systemic change.
The aim is to eradicate poverty, the prime cause for human trafficking.
Edlira Gjoni, representing Mary Ward Loreto Foundation
Background
The 20th International Service-Learning Conference took place on 22th- 26th August 2017, in the San Agustín Conference Hall of Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina.
The conference was organized by CLAYSS, with the support of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI) and the Ministry of Education of Argentina. It gathered teachers, heads and students from schools of all levels and modalities, as well as higher education Institutions and social organizations working with the Service Learning Approach in their work in education.
The Conference takes place within the framework of the International Service-Learning Week and it also included a Service-Learning Research Symposium, where researchers and practitioners of Service Learning share findings and evidence based recommendations for future steps in Service Learning.
The ClayssConference has been established as the most important event for experts and institutions that drive the service-learning pedagogical approach. During the event, 16 parallel workshops were organized, with participants from various experience and background in the development of service-learning practices and programs and with the participation of leading specialists from Argentina, Latin America, and other regions around the world.
For the second year, there were representatives from Central Europe (Matej Bel University in Banksa Bistrica) and for the first time in this conference, Eastern Europe was also invited to participate.
Representing Mary Ward Loreto Foundation and the new initiative on Service Learning Project in Lezha, Ms. Edlira Gjoni participated actively in all sessions of this important event on Service Learning Approach.
Ms. Gjoni participated in all actives during this week of solidarity, accountability, responsibility and new learning approach, which emphasizes the student’s learning outcome based on the service they offer to the community, making them better citizens, leaders and active in their initiative and civic engagement.
The conference is a unique opportunity of sharing and updating among those who are committed to solidarity and service learning as pedagogy.
The Service Learning Week had three main components for the invitee from Albania:
In the next sections, there is a summarized overview for each of these three components of the conference.
The Activities – Visiting SL schools
For a better understanding of Service Learning implementation, spirit and impact, Clayss organized day visits and dialogue with four schools who apply Service Learning approach in Buenos Aires, in schools for all level of education, from secondary school and public universities, to vocational schools and private institutions, as below :
Key learning from visiting the schools:
Service Learning Research Symposium
The one-day Research Symposium brought together presentations, findings and analysis of research on Service Learning from different parts of the world, in varioustopics. Papers are available for teacher training and for use from NGO staff, and for MWL foundation, some of the relevant papers collected, which can serve for the pilot Service Learning and future endeavors are:
Health, game and communication in popular areas
Teaching innovation project to promote Service-Learning and Social Responsibility
Service-Learning: Experience and effects of this methodology in the community
The potential of Service-Learning for the personalization of school learning
Service-Learning in the implementation of public policy for children
Intergenerational project and emotions in a context of vulnerability
Girls’ and boys’ ideas about participation: their importance in Service-Learning projects
Impact of Service-Learning in students 5 years later
Evaluate and improve the processes of institutionalization of Service-Learning Projects in Secondary School
The community in an experience of Service-Learning in a business context
Service-Learning and development of social and personal responsibility
Community Intervention Program: An experience between academia and communities
How does the SL methodology impact the learning process of university students?
SL Contributions to academic training from the students’ perspective;
How to teach-How to learn: Service-Learning as an Opportunity to Improve the Practice;
Experiential learning based on organizational and professional challenges
Building Social Networks as an Experience of Service- Learning
The Conference
Held at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, organised by Clayss
More than 600 participants from all over the world participated in the Service Learning Conference, which provided a good balance of the last 20 years of contributions of service-learning to an inclusive and quality education. The main session was dedicated to the Service-Learning as an innovation and educational tradition in Latin America and the world.
The main part of the conference were the workshops, where participants were actively involved to contribute in 12 sessions which shared and planned next steps for Service Learning in schools, universities and organizations.
The workshops produced useful information and ideas for Clayss and for the participants on how to start a service-learning project at school, how to use Service-Learning in socially vulnerable contexts, how to use Service-Learning in various subjects and peculiarly in science and technology, the best ways to effectively use Service-Learning in Social Sciences and training for active citizenship for students, etc.
At the end of the first day, participants witnessed the Service-learning impact in the voice of former students. Four former students who used Service Learning at school were invited to share their successful stories from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico. This was the most welcome part of the conference, as the four students returned to a Service Learning event after more than 10 years. It was therefore highly interesting to observe the impact of the approach in the work and character of these four students, who are today community leaders or reputable professionals in carpentry, city guide, veterinary and teaching.
The four emphasized that Service Learning, apart from better academic performance, helped them to become better citizens, active and engaging humans, and increased their sense of responsibility for the communities where they live.
Currently, they are all active and reputable leaders of their communities and support actively service learning in their former schools.
The second day of the conference, which was also the last one of the Service Learning Week, highlighted the award-winning experiences of the “EscuelasSolidarias” Presidential Award 2016- Argentina and “Solidarity Education” Award in Uruguay.
One panel discussion was dedicated to the service-learning networks and how it is being spread around the world. This is where Mary Ward Loreto Foundation has just entered, and in the coming conferences, will have its space on the panel and network, to share its experience and SL steps in Albania.
Conclusions
Service Learning is a very interesting approach that puts the student and the community at the center of the approach, where apart from serving to the community in practice or special hours, the students acquire skills and abilities beyond academic achievements.
Final note
Service Learning is one the best proven approaches to help students become civically engaged, better citizens and take the lead early in their life.
There are many ways to implement a Service Learning project and with the willingness and flexibility of schools and support of organizations, the students and the communities in Albania can truly benefit from this practical and impactful approach.
MWL Foundation can be the leading organization in Albania in SL projects and in the SL network that is being built by Clayss in Central and Eastern Europe. Excellent opportunity for the staff, for the schools, for students and for the organization to give its example outside Albania.
Details of Clayss:
Edlira Gjoni
Buenos Aires, 26 August 2017