The obvious passion to learn and grow and the absolute need for practical skills bring our students to SLD. As they come together they develop skills, work towards implementing projects that create jobs, address injustice through advocacy and work on numerous opportunities of community development coupled with the integration of faith.Rich discussions in and out of the classroom between peers and with our faculty create a community where global learning occurs through experiential sharing and it is transformational.

Likewise the campus is buzzing as Dr. Tony Campolo, so rejuvenated by the commitment to Economic development all over the world, will return to the classroom this fall to facilitate an "Introduction to Theories of Social Change" seminar as a foundation for the SLD development programs. SLD also recently expanded its family when we entered into a partnership with the Mission Year organization pairing "One year of Practice with One year of Theory." As a result 6 Mission Year students will join us to focus on our urban concentration in International Development.

SLD has also seen marked growth in the number of students applying and enrolling from the Middle East and Asia and we are thrilled to see how God is using these amazing people for his greater service.Meanwhile, our current cohort of MBA students and the first cohort of the MA in the US are getting ready to head to their field semesters in Laos, Colombia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Fiji, Guatemala, Zambia, Philippines, Montenegro, Kenya, Jerusalem, Pakistan, Cambodia and India.

The stories of our students and the ministries that have been laid on their hearts serve as a constant inspiration to us to work harder and better in our approaches to development education, and in our efforts to remain current and cutting edge while providing the necessary tools needed for this ever changing field.