Overview

Course Description

Kenya Experience Educational Diplomacy and Leadership (3 credits) is a blended interdisciplinary course for high school and college students. The Course seeks to introduce students to global diplomacy using experiential learning. The classroom phase provides students with skills of leadership and diplomacy and how they can be used effectively to resolve conflicts, build relationships, and expose inequalities both at a local or global scene, which often lead to conflicts. The course provides an opportunity for students to observe how financial systems work in Kenya and their impact on developing local communities.

This course will utilize the student’s new knowledge of global diplomacy and leadership using experiential learning through learning service projects that utilize a short-term trip abroad to Kenya. Students will participate in guided projects that include local government initiatives on education, small business entrepreneurship, health, wildlife conservation, and youth leadership development programs at the Global Connections Center in Nyanchonori Village.

The course will begin with four three-hour pre-departure classes at Hopewell Valley Central High School and The College of New Jersey during the Summer II session.  We will continue our studies in Kenya for 2 weeks during the latter part of the Summer II session and will meet once again for 3 hours of debriefing and student presentations of their learning at the end of the trip in Kenya.

Texts/Readings

All students must complete assigned readings from a textbook or bibliography selected by the course designers or instructors.

In-Class Schedule

Week 1:        Leadership and Educational Diplomacy - Angwenyi and Bwire

  • Welcome, Introductions, and Course Overview          
  • Defining leadership and educational diplomacy
  • Discussing the importance of leadership development
  • Understanding the Value of Educational Diplomacy

Week 2:        What is Culture and the Culture of Kenya - Angwenyi, Bwire, and Guests

Cultural norms, politics, education, space, socioeconomics, religion, African socialism, knowledge sharing and technology

Week 3:        Social Change - Angwenyi and Bwire

Presentations of Social Issues and Community Agency

Defining social change, leading in the complex world (complexity and chaos theory) the relevance of power, questioning and analyzing the issues (education, government, cultural beliefs, etc.), and creating interventions for change

Week 4:        Team Leadership - Panel of Selected Leaders

Understanding oneself - skills, strengths and styles, team roles, leadership theories - servant and shared leadership, building an effective team

 

Disability Statement

It is a college policy to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. If you would like to request accommodations due to a physical, mental, or learning disability, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities office by telephone at _________, by email at _____________, or in the Seton Hall University Campus, Building  _________. # _____________.

Academic Conduct

Academic dishonesty includes any unauthorized collaboration or misrepresentation in the submission of academic work. In all written work, whether in class or out of class, the student’s name on the work is considered to be a statement that the work is his or hers alone, except as otherwise indicated. Students are expected to provide proper citations for the statements and ideas of others whether submitted word for word or paraphrased. Failure to provide proper citations will be considered plagiarism and offenders will be subject to the charge of plagiarism specified in the statement of regulations. Similarly, students are expected to adhere to all regulations pertaining to examination conduct. These regulations are designed to ensure that the work submitted by the student on examinations is an honest representation of that student’s effort and that it does not involve unauthorized collaboration, unauthorized use of notes during the exam, or unauthorized access to prior information about the examination.

Course Logistics

While in Kenya, we will experience different accommodations and modes of transportation including airplanes, buses, boats, and walking.

Please also be aware of a few important characteristics of the travel associated with the class that should be considered in light of each student’s individual medical and physical conditions.  First, during the trip, there is significant, although not overly strenuous physical exertion as part of the daily routine.  Students will be walking, hiking, swimming, and climbing (light).  While most of this activity is not strenuous, even the most moderate activity can be significant given the elevation and temperatures.  Furthermore, while on the water, students should be aware that the boat may experience moderate seas.  You may want to take medication appropriate for travel at sea.

Students will be expected to respect any natural environment that will be traveled through.

Students taking this course are required to carry a minimum travel insurance as outlined in the GCK LINK Travel requirements.

Projected Cost: $7500 which includes Visa Fee, Airfare (Roundtrip), Hotel Accommodation, Food, Local Transportation, Travel Insurance, and Park Fees.

(We also may want to include any disclaimers/information about the community agencies and our expectations for their behaviors while there)

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Course Design Considerations

What do we want students to remember, do, or value as a result of this course in 5 years?

  • the diversity of issues that communities across the globe face
  • utilize leadership skills to create strong teams that work toward positive social change
  • value life-long learning to become an informed citizen
  • look beyond age, race, education, social class, etc. to recognize the leadership potential in self and others
  • instill curiosity and interest in future opportunities to broaden one’s perspective on global issues
  • see the potential to link communities with each other (local/global)
  • understand how different cultural systems operate and see how it influences development
  • to better appreciate the opportunities afforded to them (education) to grow, develop, and create positive change

Based on the above, what are the learning objectives for the course?

Factual: define leadership and educational diplomacy, explain and utilize the Social Change Model of Leadership Development, examine educational diplomacy and leadership, and learn about the Kenyan culture (understand that cultural differences exist - and they are multidimensional, on a spectrum and vast)

Conceptual: Design and produce programs and interventions that solve an issue(s) and create positive social change

Procedural: Demonstrate and implement effective team leadership skills to organize change efforts,

Meta-cognitive: Effectively analyze a community or organization’s challenges within the larger global context to develop solutions - understanding the questions that need to be asked and the information that needs to be gathered to be better informed, generate solutions to common problems within their own home/local communities,

Generate 5-6 SMART learning objectives (the main/top objectives):

What teaching/learning activities will support the learning objectives?

  • Reflections, readings, case studies, experiential activities, team project(s), self-awareness/assessments, interviews, group discussions
  • In Kenya - service learning.  Students will learn about and assist on local government initiatives on education, wildlife conservation, and youth leadership development
  • Will probably not do tests or quizzes
  • as much as possible, empower students to learn and have choices in how they learn

In what ways will we assess their achievement of these learning objectives?

  • Project proposals on what students intend to accomplish during the learning experience.
  • Documentations and presentations.
  • Videos made to capture the service learning experience

Potential topics - what will get done prior to the trip, what can get done during the trip?:

  • Leadership
    • new theories based upon global trends - systems-based
    • Democratic Leadership
    • Adaptive Leadership
    • Relational Leadership - article “Developing Relational Leadership in Africa
    • Strategic Foresight/Strategic Competency Model
  • Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Civic Participation)
    • social justice
  • Team Development
  • Conflict Management
  • Intercultural Relations
  • Educational Diplomacy - services that provide positive solutions/alternatives for at-risk populations
  • Entrepreneurship/Youth Employment
  • Access to Education
  • Climate Change and Environmental Protection

 

Additional Resources

Kenya Cultural Diplomacy Initiative (KCDI) Concept Summary - Go here

KCDI Website: www.kcditravel.org

GCK Travel Website: www.gcktravel.com

 

 

 

Course Requirements:

Attendance, Participation, and Homework

Attendance is mandatory at all pre-departure classes and all scheduled activities in Kenya.  Students who fail to attend all of these classes and activities will not receive credit for the course.  Students are expected to have read and be prepared to discuss, all assigned readings, and to have completed any homework assignments.  Attendance and participation in all scheduled classes will constitute ___ points of your final course grade.

Social Issue/Agency Report and Presentation

To prepare for the trip, you will be divided into groups that will ultimately be in charge of designing, leading, and implementing a service project at a designated agency in Kenya.  Each group must research the particular social issue affiliated with the community agency in Kenya that will receive their service, and share their findings with the entire class.  Each student group must draft a 3-5 page written report of their findings and will make a 15-minute presentation to the entire class.  The written paper will constitute ___ points and the oral presentation will constitute ___ points of your final course grade.  Presentations will take place on (date).

Trip Participation and Personal Reflection Journal

While in Kenya, each student will keep a daily journal/Blog in which they will reflect and respond to the experiences.  Specific questions and guidelines for writing the reflections will be provided.  While one group of students will be leading a service project at a community agency, all students are required to participate in the project.  There will be debriefing scheduled throughout the trip, of which active and verbal participation is needed.  For each group’s service project, all students will be asked to provide critical and helpful feedback to the group during the debriefing sessions. The Personal Reflection Journal will constitute ___ points and participation will constitute ____ points of the overall grade.  Journals will be due on (date). 

Final Report and Presentation

Upon return from Kenya, all groups will have until (date) to write a 5-page report that will review the following points:

  • A brief review of their social issue and their group’s assigned community agency.
  • A description of the project designed to meet the needs of that agency and how it addresses a movement toward social change.
  • A critical analysis of their group’s process (vision, assigning and delegating roles, handling conflict) and the leadership skills utilized to create and implement their project.  This will include the unique contributions of each group member.

On (date), all students will gather for one final 3-hour session to individually present their learning from the course (class content, reflection content, and final report content may be used).  Each presentation will be approximately 8-10 minutes in length (depending upon the number of students presenting).

The final report will constitute ____ points of your final grade and the final presentation will constitute ___ of your final grade

Exam Regulations

Student Assignments/Grading Structure

Assignments/Requirements

Points

Attendance, Class Participation, and Homework

50

Social Issue/Agency Report

15

Social Issue/Agency Presentation

15

Trip Participation

120

Personal Reflection Journal

25

Final Report and Presentation

25

 

Grading structure:

A          250-231

A-        230-225

B+       224-218

B          217-206

B-        205-200

C+       199-192

C         191-182

C-        181-175

D         174-150

F          149 or less

Preparedness

Preparedness means having all assignments and readings completed on time. You should come to class having read the chapters or other material assigned and having completed any assigned activities or exercises.  Some of the exercises will be completed in class, and others will be done on your own prior to class.  These will be announced.  If you know you will miss a class in which an assignment is due, you may turn the assignment in early or email it to the course instructor not later than the normal start time of the class.

Attendance, Policy on Absences and Late Exams, Quizzes or Assignments

Attendance will be recorded each class period, and you must be present in class the entire period and on time to get credit for attendance.  This is absolutely necessary in an experiential course such as this one.  Please think of class meetings as an appointment between professionals.  If for any reason you cannot attend, please let one of the professors know by email prior to the start of class.  If for some reason a class is canceled or will start late, you will be notified via email.  It is expected that unless other arrangements have been made, assignments will be submitted on the day that they are due, regardless of whether you are in class that session.