192 pages
244 x 170mm, photographs
ISBN: 978 1 85856 416 6
August 2008

In Safe Hands describes the evolution of voluntary service learning for teachers in the developing world. For two decades, Hope One World (HOW), a charity of Liverpool Hope University, has provided a needs based service education for teachers in SOS schools in Africa, India and Sri Lanka. The project teams of the university staff and students work overseas for three weeks at a time with teachers and children in the SOS schools and the project provides a safe environment for the UK students.The book is written by staff and students who took part in projects.They describe

• the collaborative development with Liverpool Hope staff of courses by the overseas teachers for their own staff


• the opportunity for students to live for a month with the children and staff in schools in Africa, India or Sri Lanka and have a structured experience of work placement linked to their degree subject, which is usually teaching


• the tensions caused by pressures from management in the university and managers in overseas authorities that affects the development and provision of the projects


• accountability to the main funding agency. SOS Children's villages: Cambridge

In Safe Hands offers a model for universities to facilitate service learning courses in schools in the developing world. It will be of interest to students who are considering careers in charity work, and to charities wanting to work in partnership with Higher Education institutions to provide structured educational service learning overseas.

Dr Jean Clarkson is the Director of MA Education at Liverpool Hope University. She taught in schools in the UK and overseas, notably Papua New Guinea, and has worked in HE for twenty years.

Phil Bamber and Dr Lorna Bourke are both senior lecturers at Liverpool Hope University. All three editors have been involved with Hope One World projects for several years.

Co-published by Trentham with Hope One World, winner of the Queen's Anniversary Award for service learning.