With its vast and varied landscapes and populations, India has long been a laboratory for new ideas to tackle some of the intractable problems of poverty.   This course will take students to at least two world-renowned examples of social entrepreneurship that have improved the lives of millions of people in poverty.  Five candidate sites are listed below, each has been the subject of reports on PBS' NewsHour, authored and produced by the course instructors, so students will be thoroughly familiar with them ahead of their visit.

What: a 15-day visit across India lead by the Under-Told Stories Project team, Quad 458a.

When: August 2010.

Who: Enrollment limited to ten students who will receive two credits for reading, writing and reporting on their observations and one service project.*

Cost: Approximatly $3900.00

Learning Goals: At the end of this course, students will...
-    Gain insights into poverty through observation and direct human interaction that no book or television report can convey.
-    Learn imaginative and tangible approaches to tackling various aspects or deficits of poverty such as education, public health and economic development.
-    Understand the importance of environmental sustainability in any endeavor to eradicate poverty.
-    Meet social entrepreneurs who have forged new sustainable business models.
-    Gain media literacy and understanding of the importance of solutions-oriented reporting on poverty.
-    Acquire basic video recording, editing and writing skills for broadcast.

Selected readings and basic training in video work will precede the trip that will provide background understanding-including the socio-economic and historical context-of the sites they will visit, and social entrepreneurship.  
Students will be provided with "HD Flip" camcorders and will work in pairs to record each other's observations and commentaries.  They will meet and interview people at all locations.  Students will then edit these diary recordings into concise ten-minute reports at the end of the course.

Get More Information:

Contact Nikki See at 320-363-2443 or nsee@csbsju.edu

You may also contact (320) 363-5952 or abroad@csbsju.edu

http://www.csbsju.edu/internationaleducation/

*PLEASE NOTE: Course is still pending approval.