Fieldwork in Social Services for People with Disabilities
Based in Belgrade, which means “white city” the name given for the white cliffs overlooking the Danube where the old city sits, this program provides students with supervised hands-on experiences in social service programs for youth with disabilities in Serbia through a collaboration with the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation at the University of Belgrade. For five weeks, you will live in Belgrade and have the opportunity to meet and interact with students at the University of Belgrade while completing an internship requirement for junior level students in the Recreational Therapy program in the department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The academic focus is on recreational therapy and application of basic skills learned in academic courses through hands-on experiences with disabled youth in Serbia.
Language of instruction
Formal instruction will be in English (which is the most common second language in Belgrade). Serbian language will be spoken at placement sites, however, many professionals and university students are able to communicate in English with varying levels of proficiency.
Location
The program utlizes the city of Belgrade, the University of Belgrade and a number of program centers and institutions in and around Belgrade to provide students with background of Serbian hisory and culture throughout its 2300-year history of being destroyed and rebuilt countless times, with additional fieldtrips to further student understanding of the academic content and the history and culture of Serbia and the surrounding region.
Academic program
This program involves a 150-hour field placement experience at health and human service agencies in which students are involved with ongoing recreational therapy programs and services. Students enroll in Recreational Therapy 3185: Internship I in Recreational Therapy for 3 credits (Recreational Therapy majors) or Recreational Therapy 3282: Independent Study for 3 credits (non-majors).
Students will gain an understanding of the nature of social services in post-communist settings, as well as the nature and challenges of services for people with disabilities in Serbia specifically. Students will intern with two different social service agency placements for a minimum of 14 days each, meeting with the program director weekly for individual clinical supervision discussions based on their observations and experiences. The program director will also visit and observe students routinely at placements throughout the entire program.
- Course load: one, 3-credit course
- Temple students who successfully complete (with a C- or better) credit-bearing coursework worth at least three semester hours in an approved summer or semester study abroad program with a minimum stay abroad of 28-days will satisfy the World Society (GG) requirement.
Enrichment
The program utilizes the city of Belgrade, the University of Belgrade and a number of program centers and institutions in and around Belgrade to provide students with background of Serbian history and culture throughout its 2300-year history of being destroyed and rebuilt countless times. The program will also include one excursion to another city in the region.
Faculty
Dr. Bryan McCormick of Temple University’s Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences will direct the program, supervise internship placements and teach the course.
Eligibility
Open to qualified students matriculated at U.S. colleges and universities.
For more information, contact:
• Program Director Dr. Bryan McCormick, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; bryan.mccormick@temple.edu
• Education Abroad; study.abroad@temple.edu ; 215-204-0720