Abstract
Designers, like all world citizens, must move towards creating more socially sustainable solutions. To respond to the demands of working in a global society, the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba, Canada offers a course called Service Learning in the Global Community. In a six-week experience, students engage in a design-build project with a community overseas. While learning about design and construction, participants gain skills in cross-cultural collaboration and world citizenship. Offered in rural communities in Turkey, Uganda and Ghana, the course impacts on the lives of a diverse group of participants, including young designers. This chapter reflects on the objectives, the themes of engagement, the role of reflection, and the challenges and limitations of this course.
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Tools for Schools Africa, the Catholic Diocese of Damongo, the community of Damongo, Claudius Bangfo and his crew, Professor Leland Hill, Professor Michael Hersrud, Kayla Schlosser, Desiree McKay, Lindsay Greschuk, Michelle Tustin, Amanda Jones, Jordy Craddock, Christine Plett, Marc Mainville, Marianne Moquin, Architects Without Borders Canada, and the University of Manitoba for their contributions to this project.
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Beaverford, K. (2014). More Than Bricks and Mortar: Lessons in Design and World Citizenship. In: Smith, D., Lommerse, M., Metcalfe, P. (eds) Perspectives on Social Sustainability and Interior Architecture. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-39-2_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-39-2_3
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