A glimpse at the ISW program
A program outline has gone to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to seek approval of a new International Support Worker program that is to begin in September of 2010.
The ISW program is a one year post graduate course where students will have classes in travel safety, dispute resolution, impact of global economy, developmental issues, industry, clean water, education, health, human security and conversational Spanish.
Cudmore says the post graduate program is “unique in the province and maybe even unique in the country.”
Gary Warren, founder of non-profit organization Quest International and Loyalist College professor, has been working in co-operation with numerous local and international NGO’s to create an appropriate program outline for this course.
Warren has been involved with NGO’s and international development for over 40 years and spent four years living in Mexico while working in the field. With Warren’s work experience and association with local and international NGO’s, he became aware of the gap in the skill set of people working in the field.
The course curriculum was designed based on meetings with people around the province and in Mexico to ensure ISW students gain an appropriate level of learning outcomes at a post graduate level.
The program is based on experiential learning and students will spend 3 to 4 weeks of the second semester in Chiapas, Mexico as well as participate in a 3 week internship.
“From an educational standpoint, we would be using Mexico as our lab,” Cudmore says. “It’s a program that would be very applicable in the subcontinent of development work anywhere, in India, in Africa... work in our own backyard and in remote areas of our own country.”
Every year participants of Quest Internacional travel to Cuernavaca and Chiapas, Mexico with Warren as an educational experience to learn about social justice issues and community development. Warren says the ISW program will be largely based on the same values and will have the same learning experiences as Quest.
Cudmore says the academic management team has given the approval for the standards of the post graduate ISW program. Next the program will have to receive full approval from the validation service and numerous levels of funding.
Warren says because there is international travel involved, it will be a more expensive then most post-graduate programs. Cudmore says he is enthusiastic and confident the ISW program will exceed the standards and will receive all levels of necessary funding for it to proceed.
Break down of expenses for ISW program
This sounds like an amazing opportunity! I am looking to travel but it is hard to know where or how to start, especially in places where it is more difficult to travel. I am definitely interested in taking this course.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know what kind of diploma is required to enter this program. Thanks for any information.
ReplyDeleteThe International Support Worker program requires students be a post graduate student from any program, be University or College. A diploma or degree from either type of secondary school would make you an eligible student.
ReplyDelete