Case Study presentation: International Exchange: College Students Learn about the Sustainable Development Goals through Service Learning in Portland, Oregon Ms. Serena Dressel, RCE Greater Portland 11th Global RCE Conference 7-9 December, 2018 Cebu, the Philippines

1. International Exchange:
College Students Learn About
Sustainable Development Goals
Through Service Learning in
Portland, Oregon
Serena Dressel
RCE Greater Portland Global RCE Conference
2018
December 7, 2018

2. RCE Greater Portland:
“It takes a region”: We are a network
across four counties in Oregon and
Washington.
Motto: Educate ~ Empower ~ Engage
Regional Context : The greater Portland
region is known as being politically
progressive and a sustainability leader.

3. RCE Greater Portland - Goal 4.7
• We support:
• formal and non-formal
education and training
opportunities
• public awareness campaigns
GOAL 4.7
Goal 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote life-long
learning opportunities for all.
4.7 - By 2030, ensure all learners acquire
knowledge and skills needed to promote
sustainable development, including among
others through education for sustainable
development and sustainable lifestyles,
human rights, gender equality, promotion of
a culture of peace and non-violence, global
citizenship, and appreciation of cultural
diversity and of culture’s contribution to
sustainable development.

4. REGIONAL PARTNER
MODEL:
Our collaborative hub:
● connects to,
● supports,
● & creates sustainability education
initiatives in the region.
The Intensive English Language
Program (IELP) is funded and provided
by Portland State University (PSU).
RCE Greater Portland educators provide
resources, curriculum, and presentations
on the SDGs to students and instructors
in the IELP.
My role in IELP:
● student sustainability intern for IELP
● as a regional SDG expert
● Board Member of RCE Greater
Portland

5. Intensive English Language Program:
Communication and Culture Program
Started in 2016, with 3 main goals:
● Offer international learning experiences that enable
participants to connect to the community in a
meaningful way through service learning /
volunteering
● Draw on Portland and Portland State’s expertise in
sustainability as a foundation for the program’s
design
● Develop participants’ intercultural communication
competence and confidence
Since 2016, the program has
● Delivered 11 sessions
● Hosted 210 students from 16 countries
● Worked with over 12 campus and
community partners
● Introduced all students to the UN SDGs
and focused on Goals 1, 2, 7, 10 & 12

6. Program Structure
● Sessions are 3 to 4 weeks
● 20+ hours per week
● In class
○ Communicative focus
○ Introduction to sustainability &
service learning concepts
○ Preparation for and reflection on
service learning experiences
● Out of class
○ Service learning with community
partners
○ Cultural exploration with PSU
student interns
Portland is known as a “sustainable city”: lesser
known among Portlanders and those visiting are the
SDGs
Core principles:
● Sustainability concepts need to be linked to
students’ experiences
● Service learning is an opportunity to actively
contribute towards SDGs
● Program participants explore RCEs & SDGs
that their countries/communities are working on
(final presentation)
● Language learning focuses on building capacity
to participate in the program’s activities

7. Service learning
activities include...
Hands on work towards Zero Hunger!

8. Program Outcomes
90% of program participants said the class made
them think about being more sustainable.
What students liked best about the program:
● individual student volunteering activity
● “What I liked the most was learning how to
reuse everything that comes from nature and
how I can do it at home.”
● “The most important thing and what I really
loved to learn was know about how the system
here in Portland it works like recycle, clean
energy, helping people.”
● “The thing that I most liked was the way that
people here in Portland like and help the
sustainability growing here. "
Program Growth - increasing interest
among partner universities
● 2016 (1st year) - 48 participants
● 2017 - 71 participants
● 2018 - 91 participants

9. Challenges
Increasing partnerships with international
universities that have SDG education
and/or service learning as a part of their
strategic mission
Continuing community partnership
development that intentionally links
activities to specific SDGs in meaningful
ways
Rebranding program to better reflect
emphasis on sustainability and SDGs
Program evolution
Incorporating service learning
into the 3 to 4 week time frame
Sustainability is a large
concept to explain across
language levels and cultural
differences
Communicating sustainability
in promotional materials

10. For further
questions…
Questions about RCE Greater Portland:
Visit gpsen.org
Or contact:
Serena Dressel, GPSEN Board Member, Secretary
and International Working Group Chair:
serenadresselpdx@gmail.com
Dr. Neeraja Havaligi, RCE Greater Portland/ GPSEN
Executive Director: drhavaligi@gmail.com
Questions about the Intensive English Learning
Program at Portland State University:
https://www.pdx.edu/esl/communication-and-
culture-programs
Samudra Kugel, Associate Director of Outreach and
Admission: skugel@pdx.edu

11. Links to additional
program
information….
Communication and Culture Program
Website
● Video about Program
● Photo Album of Program