| Summary: | For the past ten years, the author, who is a university professor in the United States, has been leading service-learning trips with college students to Jamaican orphanages and children’s
homes. Five years ago, she created a developmental assessment instrument specific to institutionalized young children in Jamaica.She has used this instrument annually in measuring the cognitive, emotional, physical and social development of children in one specific children’s home.The undergraduate and graduate students who accompany the author on the service learning trips conduct the assessments with her supervision and
oversight.The author then meets with the home’s director to discuss each child, noting changes that may have occurred since the previous year’s assessment.By completing these annual assessments, the author has been able to assist the home’s director in recognizing the needs of the children and assisting in planning for their long-term placement.This paper discusses the process in which the author developed this collaborative project with university students in the United States and social services in Jamaica.She identifies the pathways for creating a trusting relationship with service providers and explains how to engage university students in meaningful global service learning.She will also highlight how she tailored the intervention to the specific cultural and situational characteristics of the children served.
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