Defiance College students conduct research in Belize

February 10, 2015

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Seven Defiance College students recently spent several days in rural Belize conducting community-based research through the college’s McMaster School for Advancing Humanity.

The students, selected as McMaster Scholars, have been part of a Belize learning community for the past several months. One of the goals of the McMaster School is to work with community partners to identify challenges and then address the problem or issue. Projects were carried out in Belize during several days in December.

The Belize learning community was led by McMaster Fellow Mary Ann Studer and Associate Fellow Rena Rager. Students participating as Scholars were Megan Roberts Davis and Troy Savage, both of Bryan, Ohio; Melina Alexander, Clio, Mich.; Joseph Braden Perry, Greenwood, Ind.; Zachary Roush, Nashville, Ind.; Caroline Hesterman, Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Amanda Fooce, Bellevue, Ohio.

Projects ranged from conducting community health surveys and teaching breast self-examination, to training in how to conduct preschool lessons, providing e-readers in schools, diagnosing computer issues in village library computers, and teaching first aid, CPR, water safety and snake bite management.

“The amount of information I learned from this experience is indescribable,” said Megan Roberts Davis. “I gained many useful skills and developed already existing ones. Because of this experience, I have a greater sense of confidence in myself and my abilities.”

Davis’s project was to provide education on the topic of soil in partnership with teachers, students and the community of San Carlos in rural Belize. The project was designed to create a connection between the school and families while teaching applicable skills.

The McMaster School for Advancing Humanity was founded more than a decade ago to serve as a focal point for teaching, service, scholarship and action to improve the human condition worldwide. The mission of the McMaster School is to educate students for responsible citizenship; to produce committed global citizens and leaders who understand the importance of individual liberties in improving the human condition worldwide; and to encourage graduates to take an active role in addressing these issues in whatever professions they may choose.

The nationally-recognized School serves as a catalyst for innovative, interdisciplinary, community-based work by creating and supporting opportunities for teams of faculty, students, and staff to use their academic and professional skills to address community needs.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.