Abstract

Here we describe a course in which undergraduate students were simultaneously introduced to international agriculture/extension and milk quality using a service learning model. Seventeen U.S. and five Romanian undergraduate students worked directly with smallscale, Romanian dairy producers to collect and analyze milk samples, present results and their implications, and assess the impact of the project. Students’ knowledge of milk quality based on pre-and post-tests, 13.7% and 88.7%, respectively, showed significant improvements (P<0.01). Students themselves also reported improved milk quality knowledge based on self-assessments of improvement (average 9.1; 1 = no improvement; 10 = great improvement). Students felt they were much more motivated to learn about milk quality compared to other classes knowing that they would present what they had learned to farmers in the community (average 9.1; 1 = much less motivated; 10 = much more motivated). Following the international experience, students self-identified dominant themes of communication and cultural competence as skills most often used during the project and most needed for success in international engagement. As most parameters related to milk quality (e.g., microbiology, composition, presence of adulterants such as antibiotics or added water) are universal throughout the world, this service learning model is versatile and applicable across cultures and borders and can be conducted with minimal resources.