Expedition Overview:

Participants in the Global Agricultural Leadership Expedition will engage in a unique avenue of learning while traveling abroad.  In just over two weeks time this group of college students will experience a learning adventure that will challenge them to think, work and take action outside of their normal cultural boundaries.  Shortly after arrival, we will travel to the village of Gorna Belica where we will begin our introduction to Macedonian culture.  During the first few days, we will explore the arena of leadership and world development issues by examining some of todays most well studied authors on thse topics.  Upon completion of a challenging adventure course, we will be placed with agriculturally oriented host families where we will experience the challenges and opportunities of Macedonian agriculture first hand.  During the final leg of the stay, we will team up with a group of Macedonian students to plan and conduct a service learning project.  A rigorous schedule backed by support from quality trainers will provide an effective and safe learning environment that is sure to help shape the world views of everyone involved.

Phase 1: Gorna Belica Training

During this phase of the expedition the group will experience a bit of Macedonian life, while diving deep into the pool of leadership theory.  Additionally, we’ll be covering the area of world development issues.  The primary objective of this phase is to walk down a path where we understand ourselves better as leaders and begin to conceptualize how we might influence in this capacity.  Along this journey we will utilize a wide variety of media such as books, DVD’s, and computers to evaluate leadership theory. As facilitators take us through a series of workshops, we will self reflect and hypothesize where to use the new knowledge and skills we have learned.  Laced throughout the curriculum will be hot topic issues making headlines in the emerging economies of today’s less affluent countries.  As a final challenge we will be divided into teams and given a list of tasks to achieve using the landscape around us.  Accompanied by local guides, we will venture into the nearby forest with the challenge of out-performing the opposing team in each assigned task. 

Phase 2: Home Stay

Living within the Macedonian culture will offer you opportunities to rethink your cultural definitions, while experiencing a new kind of agricultural life.  We will have the opportunity to stay with a Macedonian family for a minimum of three days; working alongside them and experiencing life as they normally do.  Drawing from your previous knowledge, you will be asked to keep a journal of daily events and compare your experience to how you hypothesized it would be.  As your cultural definitions begin to change, you will become better prepared for the third phase of the journey. 

Phase 3: Service Learning

This final phase of the learning adventure will allow you to apply and evaluate the experience of the previous two phases.  A chance to prove your newfound leadership skills will be provided as you work cross-culturally to achieve a major service project.  Not only will you work independently, but you will also be tasked with organizing a group of Macedonian high school students .  You will be placed in a challenging environment where decision making ability and true leadership capability will need to be exhibited.  As you work to plan a service project, you’ll also need to be mindful of your charge to motivate the Macedonian students to help as well.  This experience will provide a real life scenario in which the theory learned will be put to the test. 

Interested in Attending?

Please submit a letter of intent stating why you’re interested to:

mark@pinnaclepresentations.com

Be sure to include your:

·         Mailing address

·         Phone number

·         Reliable e-mail address