Blog #205: Project Grant to Amizade

Amizade, a long-established service-learning organization, was put in extreme peril because of the curtailment of international travel due to the Pandemic.  Changing course, Amizade came up with a new program entitled “Virtual Service Learning (VSL) with Brazilian and Jamaican Youth.”  The program digitally teaches overseas youths how to do service-learning.  The participants first pick a topic, then do 1) survey, research and benchmarking, 2) digital strategy and planning, 3) social media advocacy, 4) on-line fundraising, 5) content creation, and 6) complete the service project.  The program, running for 6 consecutive weeks, began in the Spring of 2021 with 2 cohorts (15 each) of 15 to 20 year-olds in Petersfield, Jamaica with the theme of Climate Change and Santarem, Brazil with the theme of Public-Health and Covid-19 Misinformation.