The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Somanya, has officially deployed its fourth cohort of students into surrounding communities under its flagship Community-Based Experiential Learning (CoBEL) programme.
More than 300 students have been assigned to communities within the Okere District and Yilo Krobo Municipality, including Nkrakan, Asaman, Amanfrom, Nyensi Camp, Otareso, and Assesseso. The initiative, now in its fourth year, continues to expand in scope and impact. Participation is a mandatory requirement in the UESD curriculum, and students will be assessed at the end of the five-week engagement.
A brief dispatch ceremony was held at the forecourt of the Auditorium, Multipurpose Building, where students received logistics and materials for their fieldwork. The event marked the start of a five-week immersive learning experience, during which students will live and work in the communities they study.
The CoBEL programme is a signature experiential learning model for Level 300 students. It provides them with hands-on opportunities to engage directly with communities; collecting data, profiling social and environmental conditions, and applying classroom knowledge to real-world development challenges. This approach nurtures critical thinking, problem-solving, and social responsibility among students.
In a show of support, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson, donated 20 bags of sachet water to the students. The gesture, received by the CoBEL Coordinating Team, was warmly appreciated by staff and students.
Faculty members, CoBEL coordinators, and support staff were present to guide and encourage the students as they prepared to begin their fieldwork.
The University extended its best wishes to the students, urging them to uphold the institution’s values and make a meaningful impact in their respective communities.