Journey to South Africa

Journey to South Africa:

Reflections on the Benefits and Challenges of 20 Years of ISL in South Africa

Edited by Victoria M. Tischio, Ph.D., with Camryn Carwll, C.J. Deskie, and Dunya Markovic

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

In the summer of 2001, an amazing partnership blossomed between the people of South Africa and the West Chester University (WCU) Honors College. Led by a team of educators, 27 students participated in a two-week international program that conducted oral histories of current South African college students, men, and women once on the forefront of change from Apartheid to Democracy. Since then, the Honors College has forged a strong relationship between the country and WCU.

Journey to South Africa (J2SA) is an edited collection of community-partner interviews, student-written travel journal entries, and faculty-written contextualizing chapters that reflect on these 20+ years of international service-learning (ISL) in South Africa. The book is written and co-edited by both students and faculty.

The book examines:

  • Reciprocity between students and host communities

  • "Best practices" for designing ISL programs

  • South African history, landscapes, and activists

  • Community service by South Africans and WCU students

  • Student reflections in the form of journal entries

  • and more!

The book is in the process of being edited and published.

J2SA aims to assist scholars, teachers, administrators, and students in understanding the ways a short-term but sustained (20 years) ISL program can support student learning and community growth.

Editors:

Lead Editor: Victoria M. Tischio, Professor of English, West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

    • Scholarly/Publication areas: Composition and Rhetoric, Service-Learning, Feminist Pedagogy, Critical Pedagogy, Film Studies.

Co-Editor: Camryn Carwll, English Major, Honors College Student, Graduated May 2020

    • African-American Literature, Editing and Publishing, Popular Culture; also traveled on the Honors College South Africa program in 2019.

Co-Editor: Connor (CJ) Deskie, Psychology Major, Honors College Student, Projected Graduation May 2021

    • Psychology major with a minor in writing and journalism; also traveled on the Honors College South Africa program in 2019.

Co-Editor: Dunya Markovic, Art Major, Honors College Student, Projected Graduation Date, May 2021

    • Art major with a minor in psychology; also traveled on the Honors College South Africa program in 2019.

Senior Contributors:

Kevin Dean, Ph.D., Director of the Honors College, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

    • Honors Education, Communications Studies, Leadership Education

Peter Loedel, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and former Director of the Center for International Studies, West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

    • International Politics with a focus on Europe, Africa, and security and economics.

Participating Editors/Contributors:

    • Students in HON 351 and HON 451, who transcribed and coded interviews, and wrote chapters based on those interviews. Their names will be included in the book.