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The Irish economy is booming, but the decline in production agriculture is dramatically changing life in rural Ireland. To respond to the far-reaching changes happening around them, several communities in County Mayo have formed the Tochar Valley Rural Community Network, a non-governmental organization focused on community empowerment and economic development.
This study abroad program, undertaken collaboratively with the Tochar Valley Network, partners MSU students with Network leaders to advance various rural community development initiatives in the Tochar Valley. This study abroad program is part of an overarching set of community development activities, including student internships, rural development consulting, dissertation research, and outreach/extension projects, undertaken by Michigan State University in the rural West of Ireland.
Study Abroad participants engage in rural community development. Students work in a village or rural setting with community members on a project that local people deem important. Students learn how to organize and complete a community development project; come to understand the process of autonomous community development; and experience the sociopolitical context in which their work takes place.
In addition to the community development project, students are expected to immerse themselves in rural Irish culture. Living with local families, they are invited to experience life as part of their local community. These out-of-classroom experiences reveal the nuances of building personal and professional connections in rural Irish communities.
To download the Profile Sheet for this program click here!
