Habitat Green in East Africa
"Habitat Green in East Africa" is a service-learning and leadership programme that encompasses a variety of service-learning subjects to nurture students’ global leadership and cultural sensitivity in the context of cross-disciplinary green engineering, appropriate technology, and sustainable living. Students will receive academic training and collaborate with local peers to design and develop innovative and context-specific solutions to uplift and empower families in remote villages in East African countries. In the process, students will learn about the concepts of socially responsible leadership, intercultural competencies, racial tolerance and global citizenship, and demonstrate them in practice. At the same time, students will also learn and apply subject-specific knowledge and skills in the service projects in East Africa.
“Habitat Green in East Africa” has been remarkably successful since its inception in 2020/21. In 2023/24, the programme scale will expand with more SL subjects included, and students will be placed to serve and learn in Rwanda or Tanzania.
Subjects under Habitat Green in 2023/24 (students enrolled in one of these subjects join Habitat Green automatically)
Programme Learning Goals
- Develop students’ intercultural and global competencies
- Raise students’ awareness of poverty and its impact, especially on vulnerable individuals such as children and women
- Raise students’ awareness of sustainable living and environmental stewardship
- Equip students with subject-specific knowledge and skills to address community needs
- Nurture students’ sense of civic responsibility and engagement as a professional in their chosen discipline and/or as a responsible citizen
Subject-Specific Service Objectives
- Work with local students in the service location to design solar energy panels for low-income families and wire up their homes with basic electrical or electronic appliances (COMP3S02 and EE2S01)
- Improve the electricity supply and energy usage for low-income families in the service location by constructing or renovating the solar energy system (COMP3S02 and EE2S01)
- Use expressive textile arts making process and skills to empower and train needy people in a wider community (ITC2S02)
Service Arrangement
- Starting from Semester Two, students will be equipped with subject-specific knowledge and skills by attending lectures and labs, along with a series of cultural activities such as movie screen, meeting African people in HK, a taste of African music and cooking class, etc
- During the Summer Term, students will spend two weeks providing direct services to the recipients in Rwanda or Tanzania
Programme Schedule in 2023/24
- 3– 5 Oct: Indication of interest
- Oct: Selection of student applications
- Nov: Announcement of selection results
- Semester Two: Classes, lab and other experiential learning activities
- Summer Term: Tentative service schedule – Tanzania (first two weeks of July 2024) / Rwanda (second and third weeks of July 2024)
Requirements
The SL subjects under the programme mentioned above welcome applications from students all over the University regardless of their major disciplines. (Note: Though the programme applies concepts from engineering/textiles, students are not required to be from FENG or SFT.)
Students must indicate their interest during the pre-selection period in early October. The selection procedures will be made soon after the application deadline. In addition, you must be able to participate physically in the service location during the Summer Term.
Application Method
Interested students should indicate their interest via eStudent (My Subject Registration > Service-Learning Indication) from 3 Oct to 5 Oct.
Contact
Ms Kanis Chu kanis.chu@polyu.edu.hk or 3400 3456
