International Service Teams
International Service Teams is a service-learning program of interdisciplinary teams
of Kansas State University students who serve in communities around the world during
the summer break. International Service Teams students work with international partners
to plan and implement service projects during an eight to ten week stay in their international
country. Over the past 21 years, International Service Teams has served in communities
worldwide through the development of service-learning initiatives based on specific
community identified needs. Previous projects have focused on health, education, environmental
and sustainability concerns, and youth development. Service team members gain leadership
experience and develop an appreciation for unique cultures and perspectives during
their spring semester and summer of service.
Congratulations
to the 2013 IST members.
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Team Paz (Brazil) Kaitlyn Burton Tricia Brensing Kaitlyn Rippel Sydney Webb |
Team Fikira (Kenya) Kelsey Ritz Teryn Greer Taran Carlisle Stevie St Clair |
Team Sonrisa (Mexico) Rachel McAdam Emily Stolfus Ronnie Sullivan |
Team Ubuntu (South Africa) Carolyn Gatewood Lindsy Ligget Lindsay Albracht Stephanie Wilson |
Uganda Research Team Anna Clary Cori Christopherson Grant Kohlmeier Maggie Burger Chase Fortune Danielle Crossland |
Application and Selection Process)
International Service Teams accepts applications for the upcoming summer at the end of October. Applications include a resume, a transcript, and two letters of recommendation. After applications are submitted, applicants will go through a two-round interview process. The first round is a group interview with other applicants, and the second round is an individual interview with student coordinators of the program. Applicants will be notified of whether or not they have been accepted into the program around mid-November.
If you are interested, here is our application as well as the reference guide.
Academic Credit
Participants will complete LEAD 502, a three credit hour course offered through the School of Leadership Studies curriculum. The course is only available to International Service Team members and is specifically designed to prepare students for a summer of service abroad. Using a service-learning model, the International Service Teams course provides students with a background in international service, cross-cultural communication, civic engagement, leadership skills, and team dynamics. Applicants do not need to enroll in the course before official acceptance into the program.
"When I look at what encourages me to become socially involved, I first think of the
passion I have for helping others...but if I were to look deeper than that I would
have to say that I think that everybody has a responsibility and I believe one of
mine to be to give back."
Logan Gauby served in Nyeri, Kenya during summer 2011.
Past Projects
Follow the links below for photos, project descriptions, and student testimonials of past projects
Summer 2012 Host Site Descriptions
Puebla, Mexico |
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IST students serving in Puebla work closely with our partners at the Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP), located in south central Mexico. In 2012, a team of three women lived in a rural community near Puebla called La Preciosita and volunteered within the community where they taught English classes to children and adults, organized a recycling initiative, and helped direct a musical production with the children they worked with. In La Preciosita, students have the opportunity to live in homestays with the families they serve and learn traditional agricultural and medicinal methods. Participants: Alicia Williams, Hollyn Smith, Emily Burch |
Nyeri, Kenya |
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Team Tumaini served in Nyeri and was made of five K-State students who lived and served at the Children and Youth Empowerment Center (CYEC). At the CYEC, the team focused on creating a mico-economy and facilitating leadership workshops for older students. The idea of the micro-economy is to promote business transactions, even in the absence of money. The children would complete chores and jobs around the CYEC in exchange for points, and then could use those points to purchase clothing, toys, and other necessities. Team Tumaini also hosted leadership workshops on team building, individual strengths, and conflict resolution with older students at the centre. Participants: Chance Berndt, Kenna McWhirter, Bethany Roy, Bailey Myers, Nick Herrmann |
Jacunda, Brazil |
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In 2012, two K-State students worked and served at the Project Rescue Amazon Youth (P.R.A.Y.) in Jacunda, Brazil. PRAY, an organization with a home base in Wamego, KS, is an orphanage for the local children in the region and is also connected with a nearby home for older youth. While they were there they were able to teach supplemental learning classes to the youth, as well as repaint the orphanage itself. The team lived at PRAY and was able to build meaningful relationships with the staff and children while they were there. |
Summer 2011 Host Site Descriptions
Puebla, Mexico |
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IST students serving in Puebla work closely with our partners at the Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP), located in south central Mexico. In 2011, a team of two men and one woman lived in a rural community near Puebla called La Preciosita and volunteered within UPAEP where they taught English classes to children and adults, organized a community theater with local youth, and participated in a community fundraiser to support educational initiatives. In La Preciosita, students have the opportunity to live in homestays with the families they serve and learn traditional agricultural and medicinal methods. Participants: Logan Hoover, Kelly Zachariasen and Jim Smerchek |
Nyeri, Kenya |
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The service team in Nyeri, comprised of five K-State students, lived and served at
the Children and Youth Empowerment Center (CYEC) in Nyeri. At the CYEC, K-State students
served in varying capacities, all focused on meeting the needs of the CYEC and the
children who reside there. The main focus of their summer was to assist CYEC in developing
a partnership and program with the YMCA in Nyeri to provide opportunities to a wider
range of street-youth. In a typical day, the team worked with their teenaged students
in a community garden to develop work experience, provided life skills workshops,
and offered yoga and art classes.
Participants: Aubrey Berke, Logan Gauby, Kaitlin Long, Sierra Dirksen and Taylor Schmidt |
Jacunda, Brazil |
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In Brazil, students were located in the northern Amazon region where a team of three
women lived and worked with the Project Rescue Amazon Youth (PRAY) orphanage in Jacunda.
PRAY, an organization with a home base in Wamego, KS, is an orphanage for the local
children in the region and is also connected with a nearby home for older youth. While
at PRAY, the team focused on offering educational and entertaining activities for
the children, helping with site upkeep and chores, and working one on one building
relationships with the children at PRAY.
Participants: Aimee Nienthdal, Maggie Burger and Jordan Fief |
Summer 2010 Host Site Descriptions
Puebla, Mexico |
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IST students serving in Puebla work closely with our partners at the Popular Autonomous University in the State of Puebla (UPAEP). In 2010, a team of four women lived in a rural community near Puebla called La Preciosita and volunteered within UPAEP where they taught English classes to children and adults, organized a community theater with local youth and served as impromptu tutors for students in the area. Participants: Ariel Anib, Mary Jackson, Shawna Peters and Nashon Ruffin |
Nyeri, Kenya |
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The service team in Nyeri, comprised of five K-State students, worked and lived at the Children and Youth Empowrement Center (CYEC) in Nyeri. At the CYEC K-State students served in varying capacities, all focused on meeting the needs of the CYEC and the children who reside there. Responsibilities of the group included teaching classes for primary and secondary level students, running after-school extracurricular programs for the children, organizing the facilities and working on a credit system for the CYEC. Additionally, students did computer training workshops and contributed to the day to day operation of the center. Participants: Allie Archer, Rylee Bacon, Jonathon Colston, Derek Wiggins and Kailyn Wilse |
Jacunda, Brazil |
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In Brazil, students were located in the northern AMazon region where a team of three women lived and worked with the Project Rescue Amazon Youth (PRAY) orphanage in Jacunda, PRAY; an organization with a home base in Wamego, KS is an orphanage for the local children in the region and is also connected with a home nearby for older youth. While at PRAY, the team focused on after-school programs for the children, developing computer literacy, and site upkeep and working one on one with the children at PRAY. Participants: Maria Gomez, Sklyar Moore and Melissa Newman |
Summer 2009 Host Site Descriptions
Puebla, Mexico
Team members lived together in the city of Puebla located in bustling central Mexico. As volunteers for the Popular Autonomous University in the State of Puebla (UPAEP), they worked with a local neighborhood on community development, neighborhood watch and more. The group also spent time teaching at a home for displaced youth.
Nyeri, Kenya
Team members lived and worked at the Children and Youth Empowerment Center (CYEC). Projects ranged from working with after school programs to developing extracurricular activities.
Botswana, Africa
Team members lived at The University of Botswana in the incredible city center of Gaborone, Botswana. Students had the opportunity to work with a number of different social service organizations including Naledi Education Center, Tlamelo Feeding Project, Mokolodi Game Reserve, and more.
Contact
Come see us on the 2nd floor of the School of Leadership Studies Building. We're located on the northeast side of the building with other student programing. Contact us at intlteam@ksu.edu.