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Projects with Underserved Communities

Projects with Underserved Communities (PUC) is a unique program at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) that combines the two challenges of community need and student enrichment in an innovative project-based, service-learning collaboration between the International Office, the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Steve Hicks School of Social Work.

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PUC combines rigorous coursework with hands-on, practical experience. We are participating in a year-long course while researching and designing a project in response to community needs. During summer 2018, we will travel to the community to implement the project!

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If you would like to learn more about PUC and it's history of impact, visit the PUC website.

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Our Project 

During Fall 2017 and Spring 2018, PUC Guatemala will be designing and planning to travel to Jocotenango, Guatemala to implement a teaching kitchen for The Garden of Hope

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The Garden of Hope is a community garden providing children and youth with a space to connect with nature, foster joy, and develop life skills. The Garden of Hope is partnered with The School of Hope and the Education for the Children Foundation to provide education and various other after-school activities. The School of Hope and the Garden of Hope work with a community of over 600 underprivileged children, many suffering from forms of abuse, neglect, and malnourishment.

 

Participants in The Garden of Hope have the opportunity to experience the outdoors in a safe, clean environment which is extremely difficult to come across in this community. The children learn how to grow their own organic veggies, and they also work with a professional nutritionist and local artist to further enjoy the beautiful outdoors and fruits of their labor. When it comes time to harvest, The Garden of Hope eats their own food or sells it to the community.

 

With the addition of a kitchen to complement an outdoor classroom, The Garden of Hope will be able to provide cooking and nutrition classes to this community. 
 

Our Alignment Plan
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