Global Service Corps
Encyclopedia
Global Service Corps was founded in 1993 by Rick Lathrop after gaining a PhD in Human and Organization Development at The Fielding Institute in Santa Barbara, California. At Fielding, Rick became interested in global studies, particularly in the area of sustainable development
, and discovered that there were few educational programs available for adults to gain first-hand experience in the field of international development and community service.
In 1993, GSC developed a working relationship with Global Routes, an organization that had been providing international community service summer programs for high school and college students for about ten years. Global Service Corps began to establish volunteer service programs for adults with an emphasis on village-based sustainable development. The first project trip took place in December 1993 in Costa Rica
. The GSC program expanded to Kenya
in 1994, In 1995, a project was established in Thailand
with an emphasis on teaching English and community health. In 2001, it moved its East Africa program to Tanzania
with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture
and HIV/AIDS prevention education.
In August 1995 GSC became a project of the Earth Island Institute. GSC benefits from the support of the Earth Island network services which include assistance in project administration, accounting, promotion, fund development and computer services. The relationship established with Earth Island Institute acknowledges the inherent connection between sustainable development and environmental concerns.
; international health
; community development; HIV/AIDS nutrition, education and prevention; teach English abroad; Buddhist Immersion; and orphan care. Volunteer and internship program lengths vary year-round from two weeks to one year. GSC overseas volunteers undergo a week-long orientation and technical training with the assistance of in-country staff and local counterparts. The purpose of this orientation and training period is to help overseas volunteers acclimate to their new surroundings, introduce the local languages and customs, and prepare for their projects.
Perhaps the most enriching part of your cultural immersion experience with GSC is the once in a lifetime chance to live with a local family in Cambodia, Thailand or Tanzania. GSC overseas volunteers live with gracious host families who truly integrate their guests into the local community and culture. Whether you are sharing a spicy som tam (papaya salad) with your new Thai family or a plate of ugali
(corn meal) and sakuma weki(greens) with your Tanzanian mama, the homestay experience GSC offers will not be quickly forgotten. GSC also offers programs suited for couples, groups, families, and those seeking school credit.
Mission: To design and implement volunteer vacation and service-learning community development programs that benefit the volunteers and positively impact the communities they serve.
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
, and discovered that there were few educational programs available for adults to gain first-hand experience in the field of international development and community service.
In 1993, GSC developed a working relationship with Global Routes, an organization that had been providing international community service summer programs for high school and college students for about ten years. Global Service Corps began to establish volunteer service programs for adults with an emphasis on village-based sustainable development. The first project trip took place in December 1993 in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. The GSC program expanded to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
in 1994, In 1995, a project was established in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
with an emphasis on teaching English and community health. In 2001, it moved its East Africa program to Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is the practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment...
and HIV/AIDS prevention education.
In August 1995 GSC became a project of the Earth Island Institute. GSC benefits from the support of the Earth Island network services which include assistance in project administration, accounting, promotion, fund development and computer services. The relationship established with Earth Island Institute acknowledges the inherent connection between sustainable development and environmental concerns.
Projects and Destinations
Global Service Corps offers short-term and long-term volunteer and internship programs in Cambodia http://globalservicecorps.org/site/cambodia-service-learning-programs/, Thailand http://globalservicecorps.org/site/thailand-volunteer-abroad and Tanzania http://globalservicecorps.org/site/Tanzania-service-learning-programs to work in the fields of sustainable agriculture and food securityFood security
Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. According to the World Resources Institute, global per capita food production has been increasing substantially for the past...
; international health
International Health
International health, also called geographic medicine or global health, is a field of health care, usually with a public health emphasis, dealing with health across regional or national boundaries...
; community development; HIV/AIDS nutrition, education and prevention; teach English abroad; Buddhist Immersion; and orphan care. Volunteer and internship program lengths vary year-round from two weeks to one year. GSC overseas volunteers undergo a week-long orientation and technical training with the assistance of in-country staff and local counterparts. The purpose of this orientation and training period is to help overseas volunteers acclimate to their new surroundings, introduce the local languages and customs, and prepare for their projects.
Perhaps the most enriching part of your cultural immersion experience with GSC is the once in a lifetime chance to live with a local family in Cambodia, Thailand or Tanzania. GSC overseas volunteers live with gracious host families who truly integrate their guests into the local community and culture. Whether you are sharing a spicy som tam (papaya salad) with your new Thai family or a plate of ugali
Ugali
Ugali is an East African dish of maize flour cooked with water to a porridge- or dough-like consistency. It is the most common staple starch of much of Eastern and Southern Africa...
(corn meal) and sakuma weki(greens) with your Tanzanian mama, the homestay experience GSC offers will not be quickly forgotten. GSC also offers programs suited for couples, groups, families, and those seeking school credit.
Mission: To design and implement volunteer vacation and service-learning community development programs that benefit the volunteers and positively impact the communities they serve.
External links
- [Global Service Corps main site]http://www.globalservicecorps.org/site/
- [GSC Service Learning Programs]http://www.globalservicecorps.org/site/learning-programs/
- [GSC Facebook]http://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Service-Corps/44277160362
- [GSC Twitter]http://twitter.com/globalsrvcecor
- [SIGN UP FOR THE GSC E-NEWSLETTER]http://globalservicecorps.org/site/newsletter-signup/