This map shows all of the international projects done by Clinton School students since 2005. View UACS International Service Locations in a larger map
Forty students from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service are traveling to 21 countries on six continents this summer to complete international public service projects.
As part of the curriculum in the Master of Public Service degree program, the students will complete projects related to international development, environmental protection, economic development, health improvement, education and social justice.
Each student is partnering with a government or non-government agency to complete their projects. This year’s partner organizations include CARE International, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer International, Hope North, Natural Doctors International, the ONE Campaign and Peacework, among others.
Each summer, Clinton School students receive a stipend to utilize in completing their international projects, which fulfill a requirement in the MPS degree. The international project exposes the students to unique challenges across the globe and provides immediate and long-term impact for the students’ organizational partners. Since the Clinton School opened in 2005, students have visited 69 countries to complete more than 200 projects.
“The international project is a major component of the Clinton School experience,” said Skip Rutherford, dean of the school. “The students learn so much through preparation, execution and reflection on their international experiences, allowing them to become better trained and more knowledgeable public servants. We are excited about this year’s projects and the positive impact our students will have across the world.”
The international project is one of three public service projects that make up 30 per cent of the MPS degree program. They also perform group (Practicum) projects in Arkansas communities and final (Capstone) projects that culminate in their Clinton School degree.
The students have worked this spring with faculty members to identify, plan and implement their projects. They are expected to engage in a project that builds on the knowledge and skills gained in the first two semesters of classroom work at the school.
Project locations and host organizations are vetted and approved by Clinton School faculty. Students and faculty will remain in constant contact throughout the summer.
2013 International Public Service Projects:
Jessica Boyd – Habitat for Humanity (Bogota, Columbia) – Boyd will work in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity to diversify its funding sources and develop and expand its organizational capacities. This project will help the organization develop more sustainable, long-term projects, allowing it to effectively serve its target populations.
Andre Breaux – Respire Haiti (Gressier, Haiti) – Breaux will work to raise awareness for the dignity of children with Respire Haiti, a ministry that serves children and families in poverty in Gressier. He will conduct a needs assessment to inform the design of parenting classes and similar community education programs.
Kayla Brooks – Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project (Kampala, Uganda) – Brooks will create and conduct a monitoring evaluation to examine the goals and objectives of the Nyaka Grandmother’s Program, which helps grandmothers who are raising grandchildren who were orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Kathleen Brophy – Hope North (Gulu, Uganda) – Working on a joint project with fellow student Alex Handfinger, Brophy will perform a combined agricultural expansion and water irrigation feasibility study to help Hope North expand agricultural production sustainability to become food self-sufficient.
Angela Bukenya – Nepal Nutrition Foundation and Suaahara (Kathmandu, Nepal) – Bukenya will identify and recruit nutrition-related NGOs to build short- and long-term partnerships with the Nepal Nutrition Foundation. She will conduct a monitoring evaluation of a nutrition program for Suaahara, a USAID-funded organization that works to improve health in 25 underserved districts in Nepal.
Sara Chapman – Hope North (Kitwanga Village, Uganda) – Chapman will produce a 5-year feasibility plan for an eco-lodge at Hope North. In addition to being a way to generate revenue, this eco-lodge will also serve as an education and training facility for sustainable agriculture, conservation and the arts.
Mara D’Amico – Natural Doctors International (Ometepe Island, Nicaragua) – D’Amico will work with NDI’s Diosa Women’s Health Project, which combines empowerment, education and quality women’s health services for Nicaraguan women. She will create a train-the-trainer program and provide materials for women and men on Ometepe Island to support survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence.
Calandra Davis – African Technology Policy Studies Network (Nairobi, Kenya) – Davis’ goal is to complete a literature review and needs assessment for the African Women in Science and Technology Program as it relates to science, technology and innovation.
John Delurey – Kolomotu’a Climate Resilient Zone (Kolomotu’a, Tonga) – Delurey will conduct research to help the people of the small community of Kolomotu’a to understand, measure and adapt to the perceived impacts of present and future climate change.
Charles Fleeman – PCI Media Impact (Moshi, Tanzania) – Fleeman will serve as a program assistant in the country for Media Impact to help manage the planning, development, production and airing of a radio drama series designed to address the illegal bushmeat trade in Tanzania.
Danae Halstead – Caribbean Science Foundation (Bridetown, Barbados) – Halstead will conduct a process evaluation for the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge, which encourages secondary school students to use science, technology, engineering and math to develop effective, innovative and sustainable solutions to the challenges they identify in their schools.
Alex Handfinger – Hope North (Bweyale, Uganda) – Working on a joint project with fellow student Kathleen Brophy, Handfinger will perform a combined agricultural expansion and water irrigation feasibility study to help Hope North expand agricultural production sustainability to become food self-sufficient.
Margaret Hobbs – U.S. Federal Court, District of Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico) – Hobbs will conduct legal research, prepare draft opinions and prepare bench memos for the office of Judge Jose Fuste. She will research the effects of the requirement that proceedings must be held in English on the Constitutional rights of Puerto Rico with a focus on the jury trial.
Chet Howland – El Habitante Initiative (Cartagena, Colombia) – Howland will develop and conduct a program evaluation for El Habitante, a sustainable tourism initiative. His work will provide the organization with the tools necessary to accurately gauge its effectiveness in future endeavors.
Angela Jimenez-Leon – Colombian Health Ministry (Bogota, Colombia) – Jimenez-Leon will create and assess an online education site that provides educational information for young adults with Type 1 Diabetes to improve their perceived quality of life. The site will be linked to the existing Colombian Health Ministry’s web page.
Ashley Jones – Habitat for Humanity (Bratislava, Slovakia) – Jones will work on a project that seeks to improve energy efficiency in Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her project aims to mitigate the effects of rising energy prices by using homeowners’ associations to promote energy-efficient housing upgrades and gain community support for regional energy reform.
Immaculee Kayitare – Village Life Outreach (Rorya District, Tanzania) – Kayitare will collaborate with local and regional governmental officials to leverage support for the women’s business in Tanzania. She will conduct a needs assessment to determine the regional challenges facing the development and sustainability of small businesses, develop a market analysis of business opportunities and work with groups of women to craft a business plan.
Nathaniel Kennedy – Hope North (Kampala, Uganda) – Kennedy will help Hope North develop and implement an arts and peacebuilding program to help students develop social and emotional skills to aid in their recovery from trauma.
Lindsay Kuehn – Legal Resources Foundation Trust (Nairobi, Kenya) – Kuehn will produce primary data, collected from focus groups and interviews, that will assist the LRF in designing programs to increase women’s ability to access and own land in Kenya, where informal justice systems often allow some communities to prevent women from owning land.
Nicole Maddox – Nairobi Women’s Hospital (Nairobi, Kenya) – Maddox will evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and diagnosis guidelines with respect to patient outcomes for cancer. The study will involve a retrospective review and analysis of medical record information to evaluate treatment and outcome measures in female patients treated at the Nairobi Women’s Hospital.
Marisa Nelson – Habitat for Humanity International (Lima, Peru) – Nelson will conduct research to determine the feasibility of opening a Habitat ReStore in Lima that will sell used and surplus building materials at low cost to divert waste from landfills and increase access to the products.
Roger Norman – ONE (London, England) – Norman will perform an evaluation of the ONE campaign’s advocacy efforts for the G8 summit and assess the effectiveness in the “IF” Campaign, a partnership of NGOs dedicated to ending world hunger. Following the study, he will compile a report detailing the outcomes of the G8 advocacy efforts and what can be improved in future efforts.
Sean O’Keefe – CARE International (Amman, Jordan) – O’Keefe will work with CARE’s Syria Emergency Response unit and family wellness centers to expand and evaluate psychosocial programs for Syrian refugees living in Amman, Madaba, Zarqa and other urban areas of Jordan.
Abby Oliver – Heifer International (Jhapa District, Nepal) – Oliver will be conducting a value chain analysis of backyard chickens in the Jhapa District of Nepal. She will identify constraints and opportunities along the chain and make recommendations for increased productivity.
Matt Orr – The Mechai Pattana School (Pattaya, Thailand) – Orr will develop a foreign language curriculum for the Mechai Pattana School that is modeled after a democratic approach to teaching. While living and working at the school he will write, advocate for, model and implement a curriculum, which will ensure the successful transition from a traditional style of teaching to a new democratic educational approach.
Ann Owen – Habitat for Humanity (Bangkok, Thailand) – Owen will assist with the creation of a Habitat for Humanity Asia-Pacific CEO Club, comprised of chief executive officers who are passionate about building their countries and the Asia-Pacific region, and have the capacity to pledge $10,000 or more annually.
Tyler Pearson – Heifer International (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) – Pearson will conduct a value chain analysis on backyard poultry production in Cambodia. The goal of the study is to search for areas along the chain that can be made more efficient to improve the livelihoods of the farmers and their families.
Jacob Perry – Moroccan Children’s Trust (Taroubant, Morroco) – Perry will work with staff to perform headcounts of the urban and peri-urban areas surrounding Taroudant, Morocco with the goal of mapping the children that fall into MCT’s definition of ‘street children.’ He will produce a final document that will provide insight into the local population of street children so that the program can be more effective in reaching them with interventional programs.
Kathryn Powell – Heifer International (Chitwan, Nepal) – Powell will work to quantify the impact of Heifer International’s social capital on the economic well-being of Heifer project participants. Her project will involve the collection of socio-economic data, analysis, interpretation and presentation of findings.
Gregg Potter – Central Methodist Mission (Johannesburg, South Africa) – Through asset mapping and capacity assessment, Potter will focus on creating an efficiency network for Paballo ya Batho, a program dedicated to improving the conditions and well-being of the homeless in Johannesburg.
Nick Provencher- Clinton School of Public Service (Little Rock, Ark.) – Provencher will work with the Office of International Programs at the Clinton School to conduct a demand analysis on the feasibility of developing a graduate certificate program in International Development.
Lauren Remedios – Heifer International (Rajasthan, India) – Remedios will conduct a value chain analysis of goats and identify key intervention strategies for enhancing goat farmers’ roles in the value chain. The purpose of her project is to ensure that families rise above the poverty line to be economically sustainable.
Alexandra Rouse – World Disaster Management Community College (Kanana, South Africa) – Rouse will create an evaluation and resource center for the college’s professors to become knowledgeable, prepared and effective teachers. She will also help create a curriculum to enable the college students to successfully mentor local 4th-grade students.
Jenna Rhodes – Natural Doctors International (Ometepe, Nicaragua) – Rhodes will work with local residents to determine their current eating and cooking choices through the use of surveys and interviews. She will then develop and offer a community-wide educational nutrition program that will include a healthy dietary demonstration followed by community conversations.
Aliyah Sarkar – CARE International (Amman, Jordan) – Sarkar will perform a process evaluation of a CARE International microfinance program to support its goals and objectives to economically empower Syrian and Iraqi refugee women, the elderly and people with disabilities by training them on microwaving, enabling them to become their own bankers.
Cathrine Schwader – Heifer International (New Delhi, India) – Schwader will conduct a value chain analysis of backyard poultry production with Heifer’s project partners. The value chain analysis will look at the current system of poultry production and suggest changes to increase efficiency and ultimately increase income security.
Kathryn Slee – Atlas Corps (Bogota, Colombia) – Slee will help Atlas Corps with outreach to develop nonprofit leaders in high-need areas around the world. She will conduct country needs assessments and identify nonprofits with promising leaders to become part of Atlas Corps’ prestigious fellows program.
Neena Viel – Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project (Kanunga District, Uganda) – Because there are an estimated 35,000 AIDS orphans in Southwestern Uganda who do not attend primary school, Viel will conduct an assessment aimed at understanding the factors that limit school enrollment, and how Nyaka can better serve the target demographic.
Josh Visnaw – Peacework (Belize City and Belmopan, Belize) – Visnaw will create an evaluation framework for Belize’s Department of Youth Services summer program. He will also assist with implementing existing youth programs and developing additional educational programs that focus on civic engagement and leadership.
Emily Wernsdorfer – READ Nepal (Kathmandu, Nepal) – Wernsdorfer will help create a training module and document how READ Nepal facilitates its women’s empowerment programs that are implemented through Nepal’s Community Library and Resource Centers. This work will enable READ Nepal to strengthen the women’s section of the community center.
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