Thinking Outside the Shipping Container: Students Learn About Creative Problem-Solving in York

On July 15^th, Morningside students returned from the fifth iteration of the York Service Learning Trip. Hosted by the University of York, students spent two weeks learning about social issues and innovation in the United Kingdom. Over the course of the programme students attended lectures by guest speakers and visited local service organizations. This year’s programme also included students from the University of York, thus providing a valuable opportunity for students from different backgrounds to come together and share their perspectives on the critical issues encountered.

Some highlights of the programme included a day-trip to Leeds to meet with a few prominent social enterprises in the city and a visit to the Askham Women’s Prison, an open prison that focuses on prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration. From the reuse of leftover paint to reduce waste, to the use of shipping containers to house growing independent businesses, the service learning programme exposed students to a variety of creative social solutions. At the end of the programme students presented on how the organizations seek to resolve pressing social issues.

After seeing the many ways that individuals and organizations have taken their skills and passions to uplift communities, students were inspired to do the same within their local context. The York Service Learning Trip continues to introduce students to new ideas and fresh understandings on how to address some of the problems we face in the world today and we hope to offer this programme to students again!