Program Highlights:

Service Project Description: Numerous small projects will support an effort to increase the "green" energy capacity of the Ricks Institute such as planting trees or installing solar powered street light units.  Students will be encouraged to search for potential senior design projects in support of daily life and learning at the Ricks Institute.

Specific projects that are hoped to be accomplished are:

• Service the battery-bank of the Ricks Institute solar power unit.

• Install and place into operation 12 solar powered street lights in the vicinity of the girls and boys dormitories.

• Setup and place into operation a MUSE student designed solar water distiller intended to generate distilled water for use with battery banks.

• Repair and put into service the solar powered water purifier mounted on the roof of the Health Clinic.

• Prepare detailed, dimensioned drawings of the plans of floors and walls of the ruined elementary student dormitory.

• Plant 200 young trees with Ricks Institute students.

The Ricks Institute is located 15 miles north of Monrovia in the Sub-Saharan Republic of Liberia.  It was once the premier private K-12 school in the country.  Virtually destroyed during the nation's civil war from 1989 to 2003 the school is now rebuilding and currently has over 500 students enrolled.

Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, lacks an effective electrical power grid leaving only about 10 percent of the metropolitan area with modern energy resources.  The fortunate often resort to power generators burning petroleum products.  A focus on renewable energy resources could provide a means to increase local energy resources while remaining environmentally conscious and avoiding the development of a strong dependence on petroleum.

The Ricks Institute currently runs a diesel generator and has a solar based electrical power source composed of 14 solar panels and 32 batteries that provides 800 amp-hours daily for only a portion of the central school building and only when sunlight allows full charging of the batteries which is not the case when the sun is obscured during the rainy season.  Mercer's School of Engineering hopes to provide green energy solutions to the Ricks Institute and to teach users how to maintain the necessary devices.

Tentative Dates:    May 29 - June 25

Tentative Excursions: At the time Liberia is note a tourist state.  There may be opportunities for some field trips to manufacturers or into the interior so students could glimpse the challenges Liberia faces in the post war era.

Specific examples may include:

• Trip to the Embassy of the United States to tour the facility and learn how our diplomatic personnel live and work in a foreign nation.

• The American Cooperative School now known as the American International School.

• Trip to Bridgestone-Firestone complex in Harbel for tour of this rubber producing facility. 

The CHR 410 course will include several field trips into Monrovia where students will have a change to engage government officials, activists, embassy personnel and religious leaders.

Interested students will have a chance to participate in worship, either on the Ricks campus or at churches in and around Monrovia.