AU will work to increase enrollment this summer in Learning Enterprises, a nonprofit organization that sends U.S. college students abroad to teach English in rural villages.
The group, which recruits from Harvard, Stanford, American, Georgetown and New York universities through campus and program volunteers, will send the first group of five AU students to Panama this summer.
The chapter is in the preliminary stages of expanding to Russia, Serbia, Macedonia and India, Conway said. The program also sends students to Eastern Europe, Mauritius and China.
An information session on Learning Enterprises drew 44 students yesterday. Seth Lavin, a sophomore at Georgetown University, spoke about his volunteer experience at the informational meeting.
"I liked it because you really don't have to spend a whole lot of money and it is a generally fun time," he said.
Volunteers only have to pay for their personal travel expenses, according to Brian Conway, a sophomore at AU and student director of AU's chapter of Learning Enterprises.
"What makes us unique to all other programs is that we do not charge volunteers to volunteer with us," he said.
In exchange for students' teaching, the host villages will provide volunteers with a family that provides room and board for free.
"We are also unique in the level of independence we give to volunteers. ... Aside from some basic training they receive at in-country orientation, volunteers are free to develop their own schedule, lesson plans and class sizes," Conway said. "During the interview process we try to gauge the potential volunteer's ability to live on their own in a secluded area where they don't speak the language."
Rachel Pitzen, a sophomore at AU and director of the Mauritius program, stressed other expectations of volunteers.
"No matter where you go, you will have children surrounding you ... literally hanging off of you," Pitzen said. "You have to really love children."
Also, participants must have completed at least one year of college, but age can vary, Conway said.
"We have had a person who is 30 years old volunteer before," he said. "It's an excellent job opportunity."
Conway and other organizers are themselves treating it somewhat like a job.
"We care about this program so much that we are donating literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours of our own time to make sure everything comes together," Conway said.
Students with intentions to go to various countries attended the information session.
"I plan to travel to Mexico this summer, and I'm really interested in the idea of staying in a village and practicing Spanish while teaching English at the same time," said Paco Cantu, a freshman in the School of International Service, who got an e-mail about the session.
Kristen Dennis, also a freshman in SIS, chose to attend the information session because she wants to do something different, she said.
"I want to do something other than the usual summer job or internship," Dennis said.
Kathy Rizzo, a freshman in SIS, found out about the program through theFacebook.com and is interested in going to Croatia this summer.
"I have been to Italy before but I am excited to branch out to even more countries," Rizzo said.
Stuart Fehis, a junior in SIS, attended the information session because he was interested in the Learning Enterprises' Eastern European program.
"I lived in Eastern Europe before, and I'm looking to go back there again to volunteer," Fehis said.
Learning Enterprises actually started after dam Tolnay, a Harvard graduate, was traveling around his native Hungary in 1990 and met some former classmates who were mayors of their local villages.
"Both realized what an integral role English was going to play in their newly liberated country, so Adam developed the idea of Learning Enterprises," Conway said.
Volunteers first started traveling with Learning Enterprises in 1992. Last year, it sent more than 80 volunteers to seven countries.
AU is currently in its fifth year with Learning Enterprises, but 2004 was the first big programming year at AU, according to Francis Stapleton, a sophomore at Georgetown and Eastern Europe program coordinator.
"This is the biggest year for volunteers," Stapleton said. "We intend to formalize the program more."
Tom Ingold, director of Fiscal Operations for AU Abroad, said he wouldn't be surprised if the program didn't gain popularity.
"It seems like a different type [of program] ... not academic per se, but a more volunteer-oriented program such as Habitat for Humanity," he said.
Director of AU Abroad Sara Dumont agreed.
"I'd be surprised if the program didn't catch on here at AU," Dumont said. "Throughout AU's history, students have enjoyed all kinds of service experiences ... this seems like an appealing program."
Conway concluded the session by reiterating that Learning Enterprises is a life-changing experience.
"I decided to be program director for my love of the program itself," Conway said. "[Learning Enterprises] is such a remarkable, life-changing experience. ... I'm proud to represent it here at AU, and I hope that more students will apply for such an opportunity."
Interviews are done on a rolling basis, and the deadline is March 15.
For more information, see www-.learningenterprises.org.
