What is Project Bosnia-Herzegovina?

Project Bosnia-Herzegovina is the University of Denver's first and longest running International Service Learning program. Project BiH is designed for University of Denver graduate students who are seeking a unique opportunity to gain professional work experience in a region of the world where very few students have access and where much can be learned about conflict resolution, human rights and the democratization process.

Undergraduate students have the unique opportunity to design and facilitate a summer school in a multi-ethnic setting, while they experience rich cultural immersion through a homestay experience. (Occasionally, a graduate student will participate in the summer school program and an undergraduate will find an internship placement in Sarajevo.)

Students interning in Sarajevo work in close collaboration with international relief workers and learn first hand about the ramifications of the recent war.

Students choosing the Vareš Summer School option have a lot of direct contact with the Bosnian people in the small town where they teach, in addition to having exposure to Sarajevo. (They teach Monday through Thursday and return to Sarajevo (or travel) for three day weekends.)

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What is International Service Learning?

International service learning is:

      volunteer service united with academic study for credit;
      a means of integrating classroom theory with active and          reflective learning in the world;
      a way to become sensitized to and respond to the
         needs of others while immersing yourself in another          culture;
      an opportunity for dual exchange of ideas with people          from other countries; and
      a challenging and rewarding way to learn and gain          international experience.

Simply put, it's your chance to put classroom learning to work in the field, to get an inside glimpse of life in another culture, and to learn from others as you engage in service alongside them.

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Who should apply?

The program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students regardless of their prior travel, academic or work experience. We are seeking mature and self-motivated individuals who can demonstrate a positive attitude, initiative, flexibility, and strong interpersonal skills. No matter what your academic and personal interests are, there is an opportunity for you to learn and serve in Bosnia.

The backgrounds of past participants have ranged from first-year students with no travel experience to doctoral students with extensive work, academic and travel experience. Students have also come from a wide range of disciplines, including law, history, political science, computer science, marketing, international studies, mass communications, social work, and fine arts.

Project Bosnia alumni often refer to their work and studies in the former Yugoslavia as the most profound experience of their lives.

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Academic Component

Course Name: "Project Bosnia-Herzegovina" ABRD 3520,
Five (5) Credits

This five credit course focuses on intercultural communication in the context of the recent conflicts in the Balkans, the process of democratization in the former Yugoslavia, and the role of service learning. The course is interdisciplinary and includes (but is not limited to) the following topics:

• History, Culture, and the Current Political Status of the    Balkan countries
• International Organizations, including the United Nations    system and NGOs in the Balkans
• Human Rights, Mental Health, and Refugees in the Balkans
• Humanitarian Aid and Its Delivery to Internally Displaced    Persons

All participants will complete an academic course conducted at DU during spring quarter. The course is designed to prepare participants for their volunteer work in Bosnia- Herzergovina.
Students are required to attend orientation meetings, an overnight retreat, and four academic sessions.
The academic course will continue with guest lectures and group discussions in BiH. Students will also submit a final paper or project, the details of which will be discussed with course instructors.

Because of the various topics covered in this course, some students have been able to have it approved for his/her major or minor. Pre-approval by your academic advisor is required. “Approval of Study Abroad Credit” forms are available for download or from the ISL Office and must be returned prior to departure for BiH.

Service Component: Sarajevo Intership or Vareš Summer School
All students (usually graduate students) who choose to intern in Sarajevo are required to work forty hours per week for eight weeks at a mutually agreed upon NGO, IO, or NPO. Students will work with Project BiH staff to find an internship that is beneficial to the student and the organization. Special care is taken to assess and meet the needs of the NGO and to identify and consider the academic and personal interests of the student.

Agency supervisors understand that this is an excellent opportunity for the interns to apply and sharpen skills they already possess, as well as to develop new skills.

Each student will negotiate the final terms of his/her internship with the agency supervisor. In the unlikely event that a student is not meeting the expectations of the internship as outlined by the Project Coordinator and agency supervisor, the student may be released and asked to return home to the United States at his/her own expense. Upon release, the University will no longer be responsible for the individual.

Agencies with which students have interned include:
•International Commission on Missing Person's (ICMP)
•International Organization for Migration (IOM)
•International Crisis Group (ICG)
•Mine Action Center
•Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
•Teledom
•United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
•United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
•United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
•World Vision

Vareš Summer School Program:
Students who choose to plan and lead the Vareš Summer School will work with Bosnian youth between the ages of 8 and 18 to teach English, art, computer skills, sports, and sometimes additional subjects depending on the experience and skills of the DU students. Students choosing this option should plan to spend additional time prior to departure to plan and gather supplies for the summer's curriculum. The students will stay with host families from Sunday night through Thursday while they are teaching. Three day weekends allow for return to Sarajevo, or further exploration in the Balkans.

Course syllabus

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Who to contact?

Melissa Schaap
International Service Learning Coordinator
Office of Internationalization
Phone: 1-303-871-4909
Office is located in the International House
Email: mschaap@du.edu

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