Michele Parkin, of Faculty Relations, and David Tweddell, of Research Western, have been named the university’s latest staff cohort to Leave For Change, a program which engages university staff in international opportunities, offered through Western’s Staff Working Group on International Engagement.
As part of the program, announced last year under the Western International umbrella, the two Western staff members will use their vacation time in one of 11 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, volunteering while contributing skills and advice partner organizations in their host country. Tweddell will travel to Vietnam and work as a partnership development advisor in August/September; Parkin hopes to be placed in Malawi.
The program’s primary goal is helping to build capacity, with volunteers training locals in their fields of expertise. Volunteers won’t work as employees but instead as advisors to local staff, supporting lasting change.
Douglas Keddy, of Research Western, and Frank Miller, of Hospitality Services, represented Western last year. Both traveled to Vietnam.