Working For and With Communities
The Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society works to serve the common good by developing the capacity of scholars to work across disciplines and cultures. Working For and With Communities is a signature program of the Institute. It is a two-part听sequence that prioritizes teaching students to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, helping students recognize and appreciate differences while fostering collaboration. This approach cultivates the humility to learn from, listen to, and work within communities, helping to build more inclusive and effective problem-solving processes.
In 2025, our Working For and With Communities program expanded to include a project in Santiago, Chile, with our partners at Hogar de Cristo (HdC) and Universidad Alberto Hurtado (UAH). Hogar de Cristo is a public service organization dedicated to helping Chile鈥檚 most vulnerable live with autonomy and dignity. Universidad Alberto Hurtado is a Jesuit, public, non-profit university, founded with the main purpose of building an academic space of excellence, openness, diversity, tolerance and inclusivity.听We are excited to announce that we听will听continue working with HdC and UAH on a new project in 2026.
In 2026, our Working For and With Communities program again partnered with Hogar de Cristo (HdC) and Universidad Alberto Hurtado (UAH) in collaboration with Fundacion Sumate 鈥� a foundation within Hogar de Cristo which provides a second chance for students to complete secondary education with a focus on trades. The 天美传媒app student team worked with students from UAH alongside Sumate students at the Padre Hurtado School in Santiago, Chile to create an interdisciplinary experiential learning project focused on sustainability within gastronomy and aesthetics.
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Boston College in Chile: three weeks of learning, collaboration and social commitment
Boston College students made an academic and exchange visit to Chile, developing for three weeks an intense agenda of activities together with the Alberto Hurtado University, the S煤mate del Hogar de Cristo Foundation and the community of the Padre Hurtado School.听
Boston College and Fundacion Sumate: Real Interculturality
Students from the Padre Hurtado de S煤mate school worked together with students from Boston College in the United States on a sustainability project based on intercultural collaboration, which not only strengthened the learning and social skills of Chileans, but also the sense of community.
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Intercultural trip to Chile opens doors and eyes for students
The Schiller-led class, Working For and With Communities, brought ten students to Chile to improve the outdoor space of a community facility for people with intellectual disabilities and treated schizophrenia.听
Boston College and Hogar de Cristo: Learning in Two Directions
The Schiller Institute partnered with Alberto Hurtado University and Hogar de Cristo to send Boston College students to Chile as part of an innovative community intervention program for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This unique initiative fosters intercultural understanding, community-based intervention design, and a deep social commitment to supporting society鈥檚 most vulnerable populations.
Justin Henriques
Assistant Professor
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Lindsey Barr
Undergraduate Student
Katie Bissell
Undergraduate Student
Shirley Canales
Undergraduate Student
Curtis Idemudia
Undergraduate Student
Simone Cawthorne King
Undergraduate Student
Magali De La Sancha
Undergraduate Student
Bibi Sansabas
Undergraduate Student
Michael Tran
Undergraduate Student
- Hammer, M. (2012). The Intercultural Development Inventory: A new frontier inassessment and development of intercultural competence. In M. Vande Berg, R.M. Paige,& K.H. Lou (Eds.), Student Learning Abroad (Ch. 5, pp. 115-136). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing
- Miner, H. (1956). Body ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist, 58(3),503鈥�507.
- Fanon, F. (2008). Chapter Five The Lived Experience of the Black Man. In Black Skin, White Masks. Grove/Atlantic, Incorporated.
- Nahuelp谩n, H茅ctor, Edgars Mart铆nez, Alvaro Hofflinger, and Pablo Millal茅n. 鈥�.鈥� NACLA Report on the Americas 53, no. 3 (July 3, 2021): 296鈥�303.
- Sci-Fi Short Film 鈥�"
- Rajab, A. (2018). Healing the Past, Reinventing the Present: From the Revolution to Maridhiano. In W. C. Bissell & M.-A. Fou茅r茅 (Eds.), Social Memory, Silenced Voices, and Political Struggle: Remembering the Revolution in Zanzibar(pp. 335鈥�356). Mkuki na Nyota Publishers.
- Lykes, M. B. (2010) . Visual Studies, 25 (3),238-254.
- Larsen, M. A. (2015). . In International Service Learning: Engaging Host Communities (pp. 94鈥�107). Taylor & Francis Group.
- Suggested/Optional: 鈥�Speaking silence: Thesocial construction of silence in autobiographical and cultural narratives鈥� by Robyn Fivush
- Bolton, P., West, J., Whitney, C., Jordans,M. J. D., Bass, J., Thornicroft, G., ...Raviola, G. (2023). Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 10, e16.
- Rosenbaum, S., Ager, A., Snider, L., Warria, A., Collison, H., Hermosilla, S., & Vancampfort, D. (2021, March). Physical activity, mental health and psychosocial support. Forced Migration Review, 66.
- Miner, Horace. 鈥淏.鈥� American Anthropologist, vol.58, no. 3, 1956, pp. 503鈥�07. JSTOR
- IDEO (Ed.). (2015). The field guide to human-centered design: Design kit (1st edition). IDEO.org. (Pg 1-35)听
- | National Geographic
- Son H-J, Kim D-S, Park S-A. . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(21):13874.
- Arjun Sengupta, CH 12 (P. 293 - 309) in Freedom from Poverty as a Human Right Amartya Sen, Ch. 4 Poverty as Capability Deprivation in Development as Freedom
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In ongoing partnership with Tanzania鈥檚 Blue Economy Ministry and the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), the Working For and With Communities program conducts research and community-identified projects in Zanzibar, Tanzania, off the coast of East Africa.
The Working For and With Communities course traveled to the islands of Zanzibar in May and June 2024. During this three-week immersive learning experience, students learned more about the community and conducted ethnographic research. Following their return to Boston College, the team synthesized their research and findings into two policy briefs with recommendations for addressing identified obstacles. The policy briefs were presented to the Blue Economy Ministry in September 2024.听
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Community engagement course brings students to Zanzibar
This summer, seven undergraduates traveled to Zanzibar for the continuation of our Working For and With Communities program, which gives students the opportunity to work alongside people around the world to explore solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
Caity Bolton
Assistant Professor
Mia Cresti
Undergraduate Student
Esther Kang
Undergraduate Student
Annabel Lee
Undergraduate Student
Temilade Onile
Undergraduate Student
Cara Williams
Undergraduate Student
Julia Wowkun
Undergraduate Student
Saron Yared
Undergraduate Student
The educational policy brief recommends the creation of educational modules for Zanzibaris to increase their local involvement in the tourism industry. Tourism is a key driver of Zanzibar鈥檚 economy, but Zanzibaris often struggle to benefit directly due to barriers such as limited education, language skills, and financial literacy. Foreign investors dominate the sector, building hotels and attracting expatriates, while locals are often limited to engaging in indirect roles, like providing seafood, and face significant competition. This has led to tensions between stakeholders in the industry, heightened by the lack of cultural awareness many tourists display while visiting the island. In combination with the Blue Economy Ministry and our partners at SUZA, the team identified that poor communication, limited access to resources, and inadequate support for locals to navigate the industry adds to the challenges for local involvement in the industry. Addressing these challenges through education in areas such as marketing, financial literacy, and cultural orientation could empower Zanzibaris, improve stakeholder relationships, and mitigate local-tourist tensions.
The local governance policy brief focuses on Zanzibar's social and environmental challenges due to rapid tourism growth. The problem stems from conflicts between local stakeholders, including villagers, hotel owners, and tourists, exacerbated by the lack of effective communication between stakeholders. Through ethnographic research within communities on the island, the project investigated local tensions, such as miscommunications, cultural misunderstandings, and resource conflicts. The proposed solution is the establishment of regional councils that bring together representatives from all stakeholder groups to improve communication, conflict resolution, and policy understanding. This would empower local communities, bridge cultural divides, and promote cooperative governance. In summary, the project aims to foster greater collaboration and understanding between stakeholders to address the socio-economic and environmental challenges in Zanzibar's tourism sector.
Zanzibar 2024
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- Biddle, 鈥淧reface鈥�
- Biddle, Ch. 6, 鈥淐olonial Pathologies鈥�
- :听听
- Podcast: 鈥淪鈥澨�
- 听Complete the
- Biddle, Ch. 4, 鈥淭he Alternative Tourism Boomerang鈥�
- 鈥�: A Zanzibar Soccer Story鈥� Documentary (50 minutes)听
- 鈥溾�� Documentary (50 minutes)听
- Ch. 8 鈥� 鈥淪pace, Time, and Sociomaterial Relationships: Moral Aspects of the Arrival of Electricity in Zanzibar鈥� in Cultures of Energy: Power, practices, technologies by Tanja Winther听
- 鈥溾�� by Herminia Ibarra
- Professor Caitlyn Bolton, 鈥淐H. 3 The Spirit of Progress: Islamic Education, Development and Modernity in Zanzibar鈥澨�
- (Ted Talk)
- 鈥溾�� by Robyn Fivush
- Ch12: 鈥溾�� by Brinton Lykes
- Ch7: 鈥溾�� by Brinton Lykes
- 鈥溾�� by Glenn-Marie Lange
- Selected chapters from Tourism and Social Change in Post-Socialist Zanzibar: Struggles for Identity, Movement, and Civilization by Akbar Keshodkar
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5听
- 鈥溾�澨�
- Sumich, : tourism, power, and identity in Zanzibar鈥�
- Chapters from Tanja Winther鈥檚 The Impact of Electricity: Development, Desires and Dilemmas
- Introduction
- Ch. 3 鈥� The Rural Electrification Project (RUREL)
- Ch. 5 鈥� Discourses of Development听
- Ch. 8 鈥� Introducing Objects of Desire
- Ch. 5 鈥� Discourses of Development听
- Ch. 8 鈥� Introducing Objects of Desire
- Ch. 4 and Ch. 5 from Reflexive Ethnography: a guide to researching selves and others by Charlotte Aull Davies
- Overture and Ch. 5 from Performing Africa by Paulla A. Ebron
- Tuko Pamoja:
- Zanzibar Blue Economy Policy-2020
- Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean Lit Review
- 鈥淪uggested Approaches for Integrating Inclusive Development Across the Program Cycle and in Mission Operations鈥� by USAID听
- Dean, 鈥淐ontested Ecologies: Gender, Genies, and Agricultural Knowledge in Zanzibar鈥�
- Ch. 7: 鈥淶anzibari Seaweed: Global Climate Change and the Promise of Adaptation鈥�
- Aly Thani鈥檚 book,
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The Working With and For Communities course traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia in 2023. The summer immersive learning experience occurred with our in-country partners, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), at their Cambodia Reflection Center. JRS led the students in day-to-day activities, sharing the most urgent matters that needed attention and guiding the projects in directions that would be most impactful to their community.听
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Community Engaged Course Hones Students鈥� Intercultural Aptitude
A new Schiller class sees students work with residents in Cambodia to solve local eco-related problems. Students will develop community-identified projects and learn how to build partnerships with people of different cultures.
Charlotte Hackett
Undergraduate Student
Sriya Jampana
Undergraduate Student
Kara McGuinness
Undergraduate Student
Eleanor McSwain
Undergraduate Student
Madelyn McLean
Undergraduate Student
Munachi Onyiuke
Undergraduate Student
Jane Paulson
Undergraduate Student
Steven Roche
Undergraduate Student
The Accessible Agriculture project focused on creating a gardening guide that combined accessibility and sustainability. Through many conversations with the JRS staff, the team identified that it would be most beneficial to focus on ensuring accessible agriculture for Cambodians living with mobility limitations, a common issue due to landmines. It emphasized the importance of tailoring gardens to individual needs, starting with structured planning to optimize space and resources. In collaboration with JRS staff, the team was able to understand which steps would be practical for implementation. The guide covered these practical modifications, such as raised beds tailored for wheelchair users, ramps with gentle gradients, and safe pathways made of durable materials like concrete. It explored innovative options like constructing raised beds with eco-friendly materials, such as eco-bricks and maximizing vertical space with A-frame structures or vertical garden walls. Additionally, it detailed safety measures, including handrails and grab bars, to ensure accessibility for gardeners with physical impairments. Overall, the project aimed to inspire inclusive and environmentally conscious gardening practices.
The Waste Management project focused on improving waste management practices in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Following the lead of the JRS staff, the students visited sites relevant to their project, such as nearby landfills and a local elementary school, and interacted with community members who frequent the JRS Metta Karuna campus. By doing so, students were able to identify the issue of inadequate waste management in rural villages, the burning of waste due to a lack of alternatives, and the challenges with plastic and battery waste that were most relevant to the community. Under the guidance of JRS staff, the team explored solutions like eco-bricks and advocacy for expanding successful practices from urban areas, like battery disposal bins, to rural communities. Recommendations include educating youth about waste management in schools, promoting reusable materials, and developing an advocacy campaign targeting government policies and business practices. These efforts aim to have practical applications in the community, raise awareness, build community coalitions, and foster sustainable waste practices over time.
Cambodia 2023
- The Parable of the Sadhu, by Bowen H. McCoy, May-June 1997, Harvard Business Review (Vol. 75, Issue 3)听
- Multi-domain leadership: A whole person approach to leading in the workplace...and beyond, by Gretchen Volgelgesang Lester, Michael Palanski, Michelle Hammond, Rachel Clapp-Smith
- The Authenticity Paradox: Why feeling like a fake can be a sign of growth by Herminia Ibarra
- Complete the Intercultural Development Inventory听
- Peeing on the Palace: Bodily Resistance to Bourbon Reforms in Mexico City by Pamela Voekel, Journal of Historical Sociology Vol. 5 No. 2 June 1992
- Case studies:
- Case against Mar铆a Isidra/Desidora, 1790
- Case against Don Melchor de Ugalde, 1798
- Case against Manuel Trinidad Sep煤lveda, alias "Little Eyes," for being unemployed and occupied with vice听
- Community-based Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Online Module听
- Speaking silence: The social construction of silence in autobiographical and cultural narratives
- Living Lives of Resistance in Multiple Registers: Dialogic Co-Constructions, Genocidal Violence, and Postgenocide Transitional Justice
- Dialogue with Guatemalan Indian Women: Critical Perspectives on Constructing Collaborative Research
- Review the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) and JRS Cambodia websites
- Review the advocacy work done by JRS Cambodia on banning landmines and cluster munitions