People helping each other put together some solar panels

GlobalResolve

Solving challenges, impacting lives

What is GlobalResolve

GlobalResolve, an international service learning program at Barrett, started in 2006 as a social entrepreneurship program designed to enhance the educational experience for ASU students by involving them in real-world projects that positively impact communities with need around the world.

Today, our student project teams, led by ASU mentors in collaboration with community partners in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, develop projects to address local challenges related to climate change, community health, and business and human rights. Projects are people-centered, utilizing a human-centered design approach to ensure the community and its voice guide our work and identify our goals.

Two students wearing GlobalResolve shirts walking through a field

GlobalResolve's main objectives

Who students work with

As part of their project, Barrett students work with international universities, residents of rural villages, local governments, financial institutions, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), to find solutions to the most pressing issues identified by key stakeholders in the partner community.

Current mentors for student project teams in GlobalResolve are: Jason Briggs, Jose Moreno, Ana Murphy, Georgette Briggs, Kendon Jung, Sarah Porter, Amanda Ellis and Brian MacCraith.

Jason Briggs along with a bunch of his students in a room

How to get involved

There are a few ways to get involved with GlobalResolve shown below. For more information, please contact Jason Briggs at jason.briggs@asu.edu.

 

  1. Join a project team by registering for HON-394

    GlobalResolve (3 credits). The course is offered in fall and spring, open to sophomores or higher and all majors are welcome as we value interdisciplinary teams.
  2. Register for HON-494 GlobalResolve Lab

    Students who have completed the HON-394 course, and who want to continue working on projects in the program, may register for HON-494: GlobalResolve Lab (1 credit). This course may be repeated.

See completed projects

Below are some of the projects students have completed with the GlobalResolve program:

Major hurricanes and storms have been forecasted to continue rising in the Atlantic. With island economies dependent on agriculture and tourism, stronger storms have the potential to devastate entire economies in one full-swoop. This goal of this project is to build resilient communities in island states, through the fostering of local projects dedicated to issues of food, energy and water security. The islands would also benefit from localized project activities that generate innovation/entrepreneurship/employment, and a strengthened cultural identity.

Our first project lies within the rural community of Soufriere, on the island of St. Lucia, with a women-led agro-food enterprise. Unfortunately, without entrepreneurial skills, nor managerial guidance, these women take home just over USD$100 per month each. They are failing to achieve economies of scale, and failing to find methods to improve efficiencies within their production line.

This project is a collaboration between GlobalResolve and Amor to develop a community engagement center in Puerto Penasco, Mexico (Rocky Point). This project provides an opportunity for students to work alongside local community members on several development projects. In 2015, the city of Puerto Penasco donated a seven-acre parcel to Amor for permanent development to build alongside the community. In recent years, a shower/oasis facility, caretaker housing, an off grid power system and a La Cocina has been designed, resourced and built with the help of GlobalResolve. GlobalResolve students gain valuable, practical real-life experience through cultural, collaborative and technical interaction at the project site. Future projects include medical assistance outreach, water bore hole and vertical gardening as well as a facility for training and community interaction.

GlobalResolve and ASU's Edson College conducted a preliminary health and safety/security assessment of Naco, Mexico, facilitated by the Naco Wellness Initiative (NWI), for the first GlobalResolve project focused solely on addressing community health issues. In collaboration with key Naco community leaders, including representatives of the municipal government, local health workers and teachers, the GlobalResolve/Edson team will help the community address issues related to diabetes, first aid/wound care and hand-washing/dental hygiene. The GlobalResolve team will also work with children and parents in the community on better understanding the benefits of healthy lifestyles and a community garden project.

The project focuses on establishing a framework for long term positioning of local NGOs as incubators for building the capacity of community groups connected to the newly designated UNESCO Man and the Biosphere location in Tobago. In addition, the project team is developing blue economy ideas with local partners and discussing the development of land/marine conservation research opportunities for students. The project team is currently collaborating with the Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville in Tobago.

Maasailand is one of the major worldwide destinations for wildlife game drives in Africa. However, the Maasai community has only recently been directly involved with this tourist industry through the Mara Guide Association (MGA), helping them grow their community by keeping money made in Maasailand, in Maasailand. Since their establishment in 2014, the MGA has grown to 205 Maasai guides with a fleet of 115 Toyota Land Cruisers. These vehicles are in constant need of repair due to the extreme road conditions they face every day. Unfortunately, the only source of automotive repair services available to the guides come from uncertified, non-Maasai mobile mechanics. These mechanics are known to provide poor parts and labor to customers and take advantage of the lack of automotive knowledge within the Maasai community, charging up to six times that of services in large cities like Nairobi and Mombasa. With help from the MGA, MERC, Prescott College, and Barrett, we hope to build the first Maasai automotive education center in Maasailand to provide Maasai guides and community members with the workforce development knowledge and resources they need to perform repairs and maintenance themselves and to be more mindful of repairs done by outside mechanics. The GlobalResolve team is currently working on microgrid design integration, taking the control system put together by the Spring 2019 team and integrating it into the facility design (locations of lights, outlets, switches, wire, battery storage, PV, generator(s), etc). We are also working on a business plan and garage organization. The education center will be non-profit, however, the auto shop will help bring money into the hands of community members and assist in supporting the facility.

Project name Location Partner
Water Transport India wellowater.org
Biochar For Agriculture Peru Andes Libres
Low-Cost Home Construction Bolivia Esperanca
Safe Stove Nicaragua Esperanca
Solar Plateau Project Navajo IINA Solutions
Aqueduct Bolivia Esperanca
Drip Irrigation System Bolivia Esperanca
Kuroiler Chicken Brooder Uganda Gates Foundation, ASU
Water Purifier India IIT Delhi, SCOPE, Intel
Fish Smoker Ghana ceesdghana.org
Water Purification Survey Ghana WaterIsLife
Weather Warning For Fisherman Ghana ceesdghana.org
Solar PV For Open University Ghana Open University
Building Matls From Sawdust Ghana Aprotech
Craft Paper From Waste Ghana Aprotech
Local Restaurant Mexico Tec de Monterrey
Organic Bakery Project Mexico Tec de Monterrey
Organic Micro-Brewery Mexico Tec de Monterrey
Community Nutrition and Physical Education Mexico Tec de Monterrey
Energy Bar Production Mexico Tec de Monterrey
Bike Smoothie Mexico Tec de Monterrey
Prosthetic Foot Fatigue Tester India ASME, Penn State, MIT
Microbial Fuel Cell Pit Latrine Ghana Gates Foundation, UMass
Health Clinic Solar Microgrid Honduras  
Biochar and Solar Irrigation Nepal  

Help us

Want to donate to make programs like this possible? Learn how you can contribute!

Contribute