Williche Winter Solstice Celebration at the Wekimün School
Collaborate with Community Service-Learning
An opportunity to participate in two new partnerships with Indigenous communities abroad
If you’re interested in collaborating on new projects and supporting Indigenous communities abroad through research and academic work, now is your chance.
The office of Community Service-Learning (CSL) has partnered with the Wekimün School in Chile and the AMUPAKIN collective in Ecuador to develop two important initiatives that will help to maintain Indigenous cultures, traditions and practices. These programs will give students new opportunities to work and learn in international Indigenous communities.
WEKIMÜN, Chile
The Wekimün School certifies Williche youth on the Island of Chiloé to join Chilean public schools and health centers as teachers of the Mapudungun language and as traditional health practitioners. These programs will also prepare students to strengthen their home communities through innovative strategies for sustainable environmental and economic development.
CSL is working with Wekimün to develop a Summer Institute of Indigenous Learning. This institute will offer train-the-trainer seminars on the sharing and teaching of Indigenous science and technologies in the areas of health and environmental sustainability.
AMUPAKIN, Ecuador
AMUPAKIN is a women’s collective in the Amazon region of Ecuador that aims to keep alive the knowledge, traditions and community-service that link countless generations of Kichwa women. Members of AMUPAKIN, along with other Indigenous midwives in Ecuador, are fighting for their right to be properly compensated for the services they currently offer free of charge at public health institutions.
CSL has made a commitment to support AMUPAKIN through a community service-learning program that will engage U of M researchers, scholars and graduate students in helping AMUPAKIN become a sustainable knowledge-keeper and community-healer for future generations of Kichwa women and their families. Current project partners include the Universidad Central del Ecuador and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH.
To get involved with either of these projects, please contact Gera Villagran, Gerardo [dot] Villagran [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.
Community Service-Learning works to support community needs locally and internationally, while creating opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and apply their skills in real world contexts.
To stay informed about the work of CSL and its community partners, please join CSL’s Community-Based Learning Network.