Waverly Hart
Editor in Chief
This summer, The College of Wooster is offering three TREKs for students to study abroad and immerse them- selves in a different environ- ment. TREKs stand for Think, Research, Engage, Know and are led by Wooster faculty and take place during a school break or as a semester-long course. This summer the TREKs are: Global Social Entrepreneur- ship in India, Filmmaking in Buenos Aires, and the TREK to the National Political Party Conventions.
According to the College of Wooster website, the Glob- al Social Entrepreneurship (Global SE) TREK is a pro- gram that “promotes social entrepreneurship and problem solving by connecting clients with real organizational prob- lems and student teams to find meaningful solutions.” This program occurs in India every
three years.
“Students enroll in a semes-
ter long spring seminar where they engage in intensive aca- demic preparation,” said Amy- az Moledina, department chair and associate professor of eco- nomics and business economics, and the leader of this TREK. “We learn from each other. We lead sessions on poverty in In- dia, understand the dimensions of poverty in that context and also talk to and get to know recognized Indian change agents. We also raise funds for our trip and design an educa- tional event for our community. This is all in preparation for the subsequent six week TREK in Bangalore, India.”
Moledina said the Global SE TREK was developed by Wooster students, faculty, alumni and staff. The program is 10 years old, and this will be its fourth iteration. “Our goal is to understand poverty in a global context but also to become agents for social
change,” Moledina said. “How- ever, we want to make sure we do not recreate the structures that created the poverty in the first place. So, we spend a lot of time thinking about posi- tionality: How we can do no harm. Another goal of the TREK program is to offer our time to our partners in India. These organizations, who we have maintained and cultivated a long standing relationship with, typically have change/ research problems that they would like solved.”
Moledina says the work stu- dents do as a part of Global SE has a big impact and outreach.
“One very early research project involved figuring out a blueprint for a social enter- prise. Parts of this research were implemented and that or- ganization went from employ- ing 50 staff to over 100 staff and had a social impact of over $1 million in 2010,” Moledina stated.
The Filmmaking in Buenos
Aires TREK presents students with the opportunity to work with Tom Donohue, a Na- tional Geographic filmmaker. In groups, students will work closely with Donohue and local assistants to produce their own films, according the College website.
“I want students to learn about Argentina and Buenos Aires — through history, cul- ture, food and tango,” said his- tory professor Greg Shaya, the leader of the TREK. “At the same time I want them to learn how to tell stories on film.”
Students will spend 15 days in Buenos Aires, Argentina and have “a chance to explore the lively culture of Buenos Ai- res, the opportunity to learn through travel and an occasion to learn filmmaking,” accord- ing to Shaya.
“I hope students come back ready to make their own films with confidence and vision. I hope they come to appreciate the beauty — and the complex-
ities of contemporary Buenos Aires,” Shaya said.
The third and final TREK is the TREK to the National Political Party Conventions, Angie Bos, professor of politi- cal science. The TREK has two major parts. According to the College of Wooster website, “During spring 2020, students will travel to Ohio Wesleyan University to participate in a Mock Political Party Conven- tion. In summer 2020, students will return to campus for a short course that uses the 2020 Presidential election as a fo- cal point to study the complex dynamics in modern election campaigns.”
Additionally, students en- rolled in the course will partic- ipate in a collaborative research project that they will then col- lect data for when they go to the national party conventions.
If you have any questions or interest in these TREKs, please contact the professors leading the TREKS.