A group of nine students from the Masters Program from the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work , together with Reto Juvenil Internacional and the director of the program professor Bob Miller, are in Costa Rica for eight weeks for their international field practicum in five different agencies related to his or her interest. During the first five weeks the students attend language, dance, and cooking classes besides their field practicum, also they are staying with a host family for a more familiar and cultural experience. In their field practicum in each agency they will be in charge of different types of projects that involve health, youth, education and social work among others:
• Day Care Center ACAI: help write a proposal for the work plan for the institution to go from home care to an integral education community care center to present to the UNHCR to look for founds to do it.
• Integral Health Care Program PAIS (Programa de Atención Integral de Salud): help creating an information and sensitivity training for Costa Rica for health care professionals conducted to assess the current beliefs and attitudes about LGBT communities in Costa Rica.
• National Youth Council (Consejo Nacional de la Persona Joven): work with creating a document which will be used to disseminate funding to agencies which provide direct services to those with disabilities over 18 years old that live in poverty and research for starting a sensitivity training towards human trafficking and prevention. They will also have the opportunity to participate in youth camps helping with interactive activities and relating to young people.
• International Organization for Migration (Organismo Internacional para las Migraciones): help with research and creating database of professional individuals who will need to participate in a sensitivity training on how to interact with victims of human trafficking and help the organization.
• Women’s Health Association (CASA AMES): work assisting them with social networking via the various internet connection sites and researching into foundations that provide funding for international organizations in the realm of reproductive and sexual health, along with domestic violence.
Voluntary Field work experience
The last three weeks the group of students will stay in Falconianas community in Guanacaste to help with voluntary work like the construction of a retaining wall and to assess the needs of the association and to develop and implement sustainable interventions to meet the needs expressed by members of the association APLAMEHORFA (Agro-ecoturistic, medicinal plants and organic vegetables Association).
