ABSTRACT
International service learning (ISL) and global service learning (GSL) aim to connect communities and institutions of higher education on a global scale for the purposes of “civic education, cross-cultural immersion and relationship building, community development work, [and] shared inquiry for problem-solving and change” (Crabtree, 2008, p. 28). Regardless of the institutional structure and program designs used to provide students with service-based learning experiences abroad, the manner in which the connection is made between the universities and host communities is of great importance and entails ethical challenges of balancing the interests of both groups. In an international context, there are additional unique challenges that must be met if the partnership is to benefit both parties, particularly when disparate resources, mobility, and history exist, such as is often the case between the global North and South.
