Be a Part of the Global Village! Support students in Vietnam

Hello, my name is Ashley Hollenbeck and I have worked in international development, education and environmental conservation for the last 10 years. I am currently working to launch a development education project, and provide partial or full scholarships to Vietnamese university students to participate in Global Village Field Experience - Vietnam.

I first embarked on a journey to Vietnam in 2011, and since have worked on different projects with high-level organizations on issues related to development and environmental management in central Vietnam. My experience has taught me that positive change is possible, but may be most effective by empowering engaged local youth and giving them the tools to make a difference in their own community.

In my current position at Hiroshima Jogukain University, I have the opportunity to take students abroad as part of the Global Studies curriculum. I decided to take my students to Vietnam in 2015, so they could get an insider perspective on development and life in another country. In doing so, I was able to leverage many of my relationships in the field to create an educational program far beyond my wildest expectations. This program is implemented in partnership with over a dozen local NGOs, Universities, passionate government officials and student groups working to make a brighter future for Vietnam.

Throughout Global Village Field Experience, students learn about community development and use different tools to think about the assets and strengths of each community. This hands-on approach allows students to learn about development, and the fundamental web of social, political and cultural threads that tie communities together. Students work in multicultural, interdisciplinary teams to develop project proposals that they present on the last day of fieldwork. This allows them to gain a unique global perspective, while empowering them to take action to improve lives in their own communities.

Global Village Field Experience is different from other education and development programs because it has lead to immediate results. Even with limited funding and opportunities for Vietnamese student participants last year, I have already seen the positive impacts. For example, one participant took what she learned and created an NGO in her community using the tools she learned last year!

In one year we have already accomplished so much, but this program can only reach its true potential with donations from people like you that want to see lasting change in the world. Your valuable donations will make it possible for Vietnamese university students to fully engage and take part in the Global Village Field Experience program during August of 2016. All donations will go directly to scholarships for Vietnamese students who cannot afford to participate in this program without your help! There will be no overhead costs, as all of the time has been donated from experts in Vietnam, Julia Babcock at Portland State University and myself. And all donations will be tax deductible thanks to our partnership with Sarus Exchange Program. We believe in this program and ask you to join us on the next step of our mission to empower youth to build stronger communities in Vietnam.