A Study Abroad Course Leads to Service Learning Project

GO GREEN Germany (Green Organizations: Global Responsibility for Environmental and Economic Necessity) is a study-abroad course offered at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The course focused on sustainable practices in business and industry and involved classroom work and industry site visits prior to travelling to Germany for the 10-day studyabroad component. Upon return to the U.S., several students in the course participated in a service-learning project that focused on recycling, an aspect of sustainable practice. The studyabroad component provided the exposure to sustainability and fostered interpersonal relationships between the students, which contributed to the successful completion of the service-learning project. Some university funding was provided for this service-learning project. The project focused on establishing a recycling program at the St. Christopher Midsummer Festival, a 3-day event that attracts approximately 40,000 attendees. Prior to the implementation of this service-learning project, the festival did no recycling whatsoever. The contents of this paper document the background information, describe the methodology of the service-learning project, present the results, and provide recommendations and conclusions.