St Mary’s Hosts International Service Learning Symposium

St Mary’s University College, Twickenham is hosting an International Symposium entitled ‘Rethinking Study Abroad: Innovations in Advocacy, Partnership and Service Ethic’ in partnership with the College of Mount Saint Vincent, New York and International Partnership and Service Learning (IPSL), Portland Oregon from 11th to 13th November 2013. IPSL is an educational organisation serving students, colleges, universities, grassroots agencies and related organisations around the world, offering graduate and undergraduate programs that link volunteer service to the community with academic study providing a deeper, more meaningful learning experience. The symposium will bring together service learning practitioners, academics, international educators, volunteer managers, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). With speakers from the USA, South America, Italy, Thailand, Cambodia, India and the UK, it will be an opportunity for delegates to explore the development of ‘service’ in education, to understand the potential for service learning in the curriculum, to develop international partnerships, and to review innovative international advocacy research and projects involving study abroad, volunteering and fostering international understanding. Liz Coombs, Director of the Centre for Workplace Learning at St Mary’s said, “This is an ideal opportunity to explore innovations in the field of advocacy and service by bringing together the work of international researchers, service organisations and those involved in volunteering and study abroad. We are delighted that St Mary’s has the opportunity to host such a prestigious event.” St Mary’s works in partnership with NGO’s and universities in the USA, Europe and South America developing Service Learning at both undergraduate and Masters level, and offers Study Abroad opportunities for home and international students. This work is closely aligned to the University College’s mission of preparing students to make a positive impact on the communities they serve. For further details regarding the conference, including registration information, visit the IPSL website.