Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Conscientious Gringo, Ryan Alaniz

Ryan C. Alaniz

Many Americans only have a week or two to serve internationally. They fundraise, learn about the country they are visiting, and then work hard building houses, installing wells, or sharing the gospel abroad. This handbook is a practical guide to help these short-term volunteers get the most out of their service experience while also enabling them to avoid assumptions about those they are serving. By drawing on social science theory and pedagogy, and real life experiences of dozens of volunteers engaged in social change--from poor urban schools in the U.S. to the border of Swaziland to a large orphanage in …