Students see Puerto Rico’s journey back through studyabroad course that offers insight into disaster-relief efforts
PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM FELKE
RECOVERY AS SEEN THROUGH A SOCIAL WORK LENS In the summer of 2019, Lirio Negroni, associate professor of social work, and Tom Felke, associate professor and chair of social work, and eight FGCU students traveled to Puerto Rico as part of the elective course, “Social work practice with Latinos/as coping with the impact of natural disasters.” Their objective was two-fold: to explore contemporary issues and needs of families and communities dealing with the impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria; and to use the insights gained to positively impact their work with Latinos/as in Southwest Florida. The trip was a partnership with the University of Connecticut School of Social Work and the University of Puerto
Rico Beatriz Lasalle School of Social Work. Research trips of this nature typically are open only to graduate students. Negroni and Felke, however, welcomed eight social work undergraduates, all at the end of their junior year and each of whom performed admirably. “Our students are ethical, responsible and committed,” Negroni said, “and interested in personal and professional growth.” A brief overview of their journey can’t begin to capture the depth of experiences shared by the students who met with professionals and community leaders, visited various agencies and interacted with the local people. The students learned about Puerto Rican history, culture, ecosystems and colonialism; attended social work practice conferences; learned about the social work response in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria – and that’s only for starters. One of these many meaningful experiences involved a one-day service project in the central mountain municipality of Orocovis at Casa Solidaria
(Solidarity House) that has been helping with housing recovery post Hurricane Maria. This is a community where practically all homes were destroyed. “Solidarity House focuses on agricultural capabilities,” said Hannah Arteaga. “They aim to make communities aware of how to grow their own crops, so they are not dependent on spending money elsewhere and, also, to teach the youth of the importance of agriculture. “There were many tasks including gardening, and clearing and creating pathways. I devoted most of my time to pulling weeds around the crops and tying strings around branches to help crops grow straight up rather than to fall when they reached a certain height. I also raked up leaves and trash.” It was, perhaps, the day of service that brought together all the elements of the journey, in an academic, social and practical sense. “To be able to go on a study-abroad trip and not only gain so much perspective and knowledge, but also to give back and contribute is what made
Faculty and students from FGCU’s Department of Social Work at the University of Puerto Rico. From left: Tom Felke, department chair; students Hannah Arteaga, Caroline Briones, Karina DoVale, Maria Jimenez-Sebastian, Sam Ackerson and Mariana MacKinnon; Lirio Negroni, associate professor; and students Alana McFadden and Andell Napoleon. FGCU360.COM / FGCU360 MAGAZINE
27