Dr. Jim Diers (Landscape Architecture, instructor of Soc W 536: Community Organizing) and Josephine Ensign (Psychosocial and Community Health) are leading a UW Exploration Seminar to New Zealand, “Empowering Healthy Communities” between Summer and Autumn Quarters, 2015 (Approx. Aug. 24th-Sept. 21st.)
Basic Info: “Empowering Healthy Communities” is an interdisciplinary Exploration Seminar in New Zealand focusing on how various communities organize and advocate for overall health and wellbeing. In this seminar we will combine community-engaged service-learning, community case studies, readings, reflective writing, student independent projects, and immersive living experiences to challenge students to think more broadly and creatively about participatory democracy, civic engagement, sustainability, and the social determinants of health. New Zealand is an ideal location for this Exploration Seminar. The country has a unique blend of indigenous and immigrant cultures, and its people have a rugged, “number eight wire” can-do, and highly creative approach to solving individual and community problems. New Zealand is ranked number one in the Harvard Business School’s Social Progress Index for overall wellbeing, while the U.S. is ranked number sixteen, just above Slovenia. New Zealand spends one-third less per person on health care than we do in the U.S., yet they have much better population health outcomes. How do they do it? That is one of the main questions we will ask and explore through our work and study in New Zealand. In addition, as New Zealand is a world leader in environmental sustainability efforts, we will challenge ourselves to go ‘as green’ as possible: living in youth hostels, recycling, walking and taking public transportation, and eating a mainly vegetarian diet for our group meals.
More information including costs and financial aid at:
http://studyabroad.washington.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=11328
