Global Community Engaged Learning: Project Fiji
Project Fiji 2019 Details
Nabouwalu, Fiji
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 - Friday, May 31, 2019
In partnership with the Vuya District School
27 current WSU students and 10 alumni and or community members will be selected as participants for this trip.
First priority deadline for applications is no later than midnight on November 26. Applicant interviews for this trip (if needed) will be conducted on November 28 - 30. Participants will be notified of their selection on December 4.
Preparatory Course
Selected participants will participate in a preparatory course in the Spring 2019 semester.
You have the option of one of two courses (both courses are held at the same time, in the same place). You can choose the class you prefer based on where you'd like your credits:
Option 1: GEOG 2920 (CRN: 33218)
Option 2: CMT 4830 (CRN: 31440)
The class will be a hybrid course and will meet Wednesdays from 9 a.m. - 10:15 a.m on the Davis Campus in D2 112.
Please add one of these two courses (listed above) to your spring semester schedule now. If you are a WSU alum or community member, please put this time into your calendar.
Participant Fee
The participant fee is as follows:
Current WSU students: $2,450
Alumni and/or community members: $3,050
The fee covers the following expenses:
Airfare
Ground transportation
Lodging
Meals (meals en route to and from Fiji will be on your own)
6 WSU credit hours (valued at $1749.41)
Water
Cultural excursions such as snorkeling, scuba diving, white water rafting, and beach luau.
The participant fee does not cover the following:
Souvenirs (your memories are free)
Optional activities
Incidentals
Passport Fees ($145 for a new passport, $110 for renewal)
Visa Fees (None anticipated for Fiji)
Vaccination costs (Recommended vaccines: Hep A, Typhoid, Routine vaccines)
Snacks
Please note that it may be possible for you to use financial aid for this trip. For more information, please contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships office at 801-626-7569 or finaid@weber.edu
Additionally, there are Global Community Engaged Learning as well as Study Abroad scholarships available.
The trip cost includes 6 in-country credit hours from WSU. The current rate for 6 credit hours is $1749.41. We like to think that this means that you pay for your 6 credit hours and get your service trip to Fiji for $700.59.
Trip Payments
Selected participants will need to confirm their involvement by making payments according to the following payment schedule. Failure to pay the $500 deposit and subsequent payments by 5:00 pm on their due dates, will result in forfeiture of your place on the Fiji trip.
Student participant payment dates are as follows:
- Upon acceptance: $500
- Jan. 23, 2019: $390
- Feb. 13, 2019: $390
- March 13, 2019: $390
- April 3, 2019: $390
- April 24, 2019: $390
Alum and/or community member participant payment dates are as follows:
- Upon acceptance: $500
- Jan. 23, 2019: $510
- Feb. 13, 2019: $510
- March 13, 2019: $510
- April 3, 2019: $510
- April 24, 2019: $510
Please make all payments to the Continuing Education Office in the Hurst Center on campus or by calling: 801-626-6600.
All payments are to be considered nonrefundable, regardless of program participation.
Service Projects
The Vuya District School is home to 193 students from grades Kindergarten to Five. The school was badly damaged by Cyclone Winston in February 2016. We will be assisting the school to return their facility to pre-natural disaster condition and capacity. Our trip goal is to improve the access to education and the economic conditions of the people in this rural Fijian area. We will do this through education, construction, and environmental sustainability projects. Our projects will directly influence the youth and community served by our partners, Vuya District School in Nabouwalu, Fiji.
Our projects are in line with the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): No poverty, Good health and well-being, Quality Education, Reduce inequalities, and Sustainable Cities and Communities.
First Project
The first project will be constructing a computer classroom and staff office. This is significant because the area is so rural, they struggle to recruit quality teachers to the area. This computer classroom and staff housing will allow the youth better access to more personalized and higher quality education.
Second Project
Our second project will be constructing a walkway roof over the main school walkway. The main walkway is subject to the elements, so constructing a walkway roof will help classrooms stay dry and help students stay safe and comfortable.
Third Project
Our third project will be to construct an outdoor shed for preschool play equipment.
Fourth Project
Our fourth project will be to repair the Nabouwalu community hall. The community hall is very important to the cultural activities of the area. This is where events such as weddings and funerals occur, but this is also a central gathering place for meetings and important information dissemination.
Fifth Project
In our fifth project, participants will be delivering education modules to the elementary school pupils. Participants will develop and deliver a series of teaching plans and modules for the students and teachers. Some of the requested topics are English, Art, Music, and Sports.
Participants will also be gathering donations and contributing new books, solar systems, and computers to be incorporated into the Vuya District School classrooms and library.
Accommodations
During our stay in Fiji, we will be staying in village community halls in close proximity to our projects. The halls will accommodate us well, safely, and will provide sufficient space for team-building exercises, reflections, planning and other activities.
Activities
Selected trip participants will have some free time. We have planned some time for snorkeling, scuba diving, a beach luau, white water river rafting, and a visit to a few historical sites. Additionally, there will be time in the evening hours to see the village, swim near the jetty with the village youth, and for pick-up volleyball games throughout the village.
Health
Upon acceptance, participants will be requested to visit their doctor to determine if your level of fitness is appropriate for the program. We have included a few examples here of the type of questions that may be asked:
- Have you had any chronic conditions requiring medical care?
- Will you need any special medications or medical care while on this trip?
- Are you allergic to any foods or medicines?
- Do you have any other dietary restrictions?
We will discuss these components in further detail and take any questions as part of our preparatory course.
CancelLations
The Center for Community Engaged Learning expects accepted applicants to participate; our office personnel use program fees to arrange for the trip itinerary and travel costs. Cancellation refund amounts, therefore, shall be determined according to the following schedule.
The program deposit ($500) is non-refundable. By paying a program deposit the applicant guarantees participation in the program and promises to pay the complete program cost by the required deadline. Withdrawal from the program does NOT release the participant from payment requirement.
Standard penalties due to withdrawal or non-payment:
- 120 Days prior to the trip date: 25% of total program cost.
- 90 Days prior to the trip date: 50% of total program cost.
- 60 Days prior to the trip date: 75% of total program cost.
- 30 Days prior to the trip date: No refunds.
All cancellations must be submitted in writing to the Center for Community Engaged Learning, 3910 W Campus Dr. Department 2113 Ogden, UT 84408-2113. Cancellations may not be accepted in person, over the phone, or email.
Thank you for your interest in the WSU Global Community Engaged Learning Program. If you have not already, please begin your application for a passport and register for the spring semester class/put the dates & times in your calendar immediately.