Students Gain Experience of a Lifetime in India

There is no substitute for experience. That’s why Ryerson is committed to providing exceptional experiential learning opportunities to our students. One such opportunity offered by the Faculty of Community Services as part of the faculty's social innovation initiative is the Live-in Labs program, where students have the chance to visit a developing country, live in a village environment, and take part in a collaborative, intercultural and interdisciplinary project addressing local challenges.

This year, third-year social work students Nickza Dalas and Jacqueline Iwanski, with Chantal Carneiro, a fourth-year early childhood studies student, traveled to India for a month. Once there, they worked at Amrita University in Kerala, spent time in an ashram, and experienced life in a rural village. Their program was supported by Ryerson’s Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship (BII+E), which was created through a $16 million gift from the Cockwell family and Brookfield Partners Foundation.

Fully immersed, the three students explored sustainable solutions to a wide range of challenges touching the lives of the villagers, including access to safe drinking water, healthcare, education, and sanitation.

“I was expecting culture shock,” says Carneiro, “but I didn’t realize how much was in the details.”

Dalas, having visited Sri Lanka before, had an idea of what she would see, but didn’t realize how poor some of the conditions would be. “We’re so used to having water whenever we want,” she offers as an example, “we don’t think about it here. We had to share water and ration it where we were staying.”

“They’re able to do so much with so little,” adds Iwanski. “In the west, we kind of take education for granted when we’re young. There, they already place a huge value on learning.”

Using the tools they learned in their courses, Dalas, Iwanski, and Carneiro focused on researching and thinking about ways to improve life in the village. “Amrita and the Live- in Labs, says Dalas, “really taught us to meet people where they are, so we can approach solutions knowing what they know and from their experience.”

“For me, the trip re-affirmed what I want to do with my life,” says Carneiro. “I always wanted to work internationally, but I was worried I wouldn’t be able to adapt, and be overwhelmed. I discovered that not only can I adapt, but I enjoy it.”

The trip strengthened Dalas’ commitment to help others as well. She currently volunteers at The Teresa Group with 8-18 year olds whose families are affected with HIV/AIDS, as well as with the Boys and Girls Club, and Rosalie Hall, a resource centre that helps low income mothers and children. “Coming from a single mother, low-income family, an international trip like this wasn’t possible,” says Dalas. The fact that BII+E was covering the entire cost of the trip was “a dream come true,” she explains.

“I miss the place so much,” says Iwanski. “The atmosphere, the people, the knowledge and experience we gained – the impact this trip has had on our education, it's something we’ll have for the rest of our lives.”