NICARAGUA NEXUS. The Beginning… …Babcock’s Project Nicaragua In March 2007, 18 Babcock students and their faculty began a business education seminar for.

NICARAGUA NEXUS

• The Beginning…

…Babcock’s Project Nicaragua

•In March 2007, 18 Babcock students and their

faculty began a business education seminar for

Managuan entrepreneurs during winter and

spring breaks.

•Participation grew from 20 to 40 business in

just one year.

•Now seeking ways to quantify the impact of the

seminars on the local businesses and

community.

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• A graduate two years later…

•Owns a small bakery

•Implemented bookkeeping system

•Added equipment and personnel

•Tripled volume

•Nets 20% return on revenue

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• The Potential…

…for the University

•Academic programs

•Short-term in duration

•Non-traditional in nature

•Service opportunities

•Volunteer work

•Educational programs

•Research activities

•For faculty and students

•Across disciplines and schools

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• The Place…

…Managua

•Fast facts:

•Population: Approximately 1.7 million

•Almost one-half of the city lives in poverty

•First capital in Central America to end

illiteracy

•Ranked safest capital in Central America

•Considered Central America’s greenest

metropolis

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• The Place…

…Managua

NICARAGUA NEXUS

• The Place…

…Managua

NICARAGUA NEXUS

• The Place…

…Managua

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• The Place…

…Managua

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• The Place…

…Managua

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• The Progress…

…2008 Service-Learning Program

•A summer program in which students spent one week of class on campus, then three weeks in Managua taking two courses:

•“Social Enterprise Leadership in a Developing Country” (taught by Holly Brower in the Business Schools)

•“The Writer and Society in Central America” (taught by Jane Albrecht in Romance Languages)

•The classroom curriculum was combined with meaningful service experiences through teaching, learning, and reflection.

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• The Progress…


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• The Progress…


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• The Progress…


•Steve Giles in Communications and Gary Miller

in Health and Exercise Science offered two

service-learning courses during Summer 2009

•The courses focused on Global Health Issues

and Health Communication, and included

service projects and clinical work in Managua.

•Students spent two weeks on campus before

going to Nicaragua for three weeks.

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• The Progress…


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• The Progress…

…Spring 2009 Biology Class

•Last spring, the Biology department offered a

course titled, “Tropical Conservation.”

•The class met the first half of the semester on

campus, then traveled to a biological field

station in Nicaragua for a week of field study

during Springbreak that completed the course

requirements.

•Faculty hope to offer the course again in a

future semester.

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• The Progress…


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• The Progress…


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• The Prospects…

…Environmental Sciences Research

•Robert Browne in the Environmental Sciences

visited Nicaragua last spring to explore

opportunities for teaching and research in the

field.

•Given the focal areas of the faculty in the

Environmental Sciences are Marine Life and Dry

Tropical Forests, they see potential for scholarly

activity in the region.

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…Medical School Opportunities

•Manna Project International, Project HOPE, and

Centro of Social Studies and Promotion (CEPS)

recently opened a “teaching” clinic in Ciudad

Sandino, outside of Managua.

•Their goal is to reduce maternal and infant

mortality in Nicaragua through continuing

education of medical professionals.

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•Opportunities exist for the WFU Medical School to

provide medical training, conduct research, and offer

learning experiences for its students through the

clinic.

•Last November, two doctors from the Med School

visited the clinic to assess these opportunities.

•They also met with the dean of the Universidad

Nacional Autónoma Medical School in Leon to

consider possible service and research opportunities

at the school.

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…Divinity School Opportunities

•The Graduate Certificate in Spirituality and

Health offered by the Divinity School includes

an Experiential Learning/On-site Observation in

Travel Courses.

•If the Medical School becomes involved with

continuing education at the clinic and/or the

Universidad Nacional Autónoma Medical

School, Nicaragua could serve as a destination

for graduates pursuing this certificate.

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…Graduate School Opportunities

•The Graduate School currently is exploring

ideas for involvement.

•One focal area might be Global Health

Disparities.

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…Additional Opportunities

•Last month a team of faculty and administrators

from across the College and School visited

Nicaragua to renew and explore relationships.

•Possibilities range from programs for high

school students, research collaborations at

universities, internships with organizations,

consulting for businesses, continuing education

for professionals and academicians, and service

projects with NGOs.

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• The Plans…

…of the Programming Steering Committee

•To develop a rubric for assessing potential

partners

•To determine the best fits given our

mission, values, strengths, and interests

•To form an advisory board of Nicaraguans

•To serve as a clearinghouse for new and

ongoing initiatives

•To maximize utilization of the property

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• The Property…

…A Future Training and Conference Center

•Tom and Karyn Dingledine have donated

property in Managua for training and conference

center with housing accommodations.

•Plans are now underway for completing the

interior of the house and re-purposing the space

for conference facilities.

•In the long term, “casitas” are planned to

accommodate visitors to the center.

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• The Property…

…A Future Training and Conference Center

•Fast facts

•Approximately five acres of land

•6660 sq. ft. home (interior unfinished)

•Fenced/Walled perimeter

•Planned design/construction

•Center: Conference room, library/study, dining room/patio, reception hall, faculty suite, lounge, and basement apartment

•Casitas: Four two-story units for up to 32 people located behind the Center

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NICARAGUA NEXUS• The Property…

…A Future Training & Conference Center





• The Property…

…A Future Academic Center

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NICARAGUA NEXUS. The Beginning… …Babcock’s Project Nicaragua In March 2007, 18 Babcock students and their faculty began a business education seminar for.

Documents

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biology classnicaragua

servicelearning courses

service projects

meaningful service experiences

biology classlast spring