DukeEngage announces new group programs for summer 2009

Thirty new and continuing group programs will provide summer opportunities for roughly 300 Duke students in 2009, while 100 anticipated independent projecters will bring the total number of students participating in DukeEngage to 400.

Many of the 30 programs have been carried over from this past summer, demonstrating a deep commitment by the program to sustainability within the communities that are being served. More than one-third of sites in 2009 are new additions. Those include three new domestic programs in Oregon, New Mexico and Missouri, as well as myriad new international opportunities within Africa, Central America, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Two of the new programs in Jerusalem, Israel, and Rio de Janiero, Brazil, are hybrid DukeEngage/Study Abroad programs.

A variety of group information sessions will kick off during DukeEngage Week Oct. 20-24 and continue into the following week. In most cases, these sessions will be led by faculty organizers.

One programmatic change this year, with DukeEngage's commitment to serving communities in the United States, is that if students decide to apply to more than one program, at least one of those must be domestic. Seven domestic programs are offered, including DukeEngage's largest program in Durham which provides opportunities for up to 32 students.

"We are thrilled with the diverse array of programs we will be able to offer to DukeEngage students next summer, and we're excited to work with Duke students who are passionate about serving communities in the U.S. and abroad ," said Eric Mlyn, director of DukeEngage and the Duke Center for Civic Engagement.

Students may apply online for a group program or individual project at dukeengage.duke.edu. The deadline for group program applications is Dec. 15, 2008. The deadline for individual project applications is Jan. 23, 2009.