This Community Service activity is a subtheme of the big theme carried out by the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, namely “Foreign Language Training that can be applied in the community or students”. FIB UGM encourages the emergence of community empowerment around the campus to become a learning and empowered community. This program is focused on the community around the campus, namely Caturtunggal, Terban, and Sinduadi Villages. In this context, the community can be interpreted broadly, not limited to the native / local population in the village. Therefore, immigrant students are also part of the beneficiaries of this program.

On March 15-29, 2024, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM Community Service team guided by Alvanita, S.S., M.Ed., Lecturer in English Literature at Faculty of Arts UGM, in collaboration with Mardliyah Islamic Center (MIC) held an English language improvement activity, especially for TOEFL ITP for students around the MIC environment. This activity aims to provide provisions for participants to further improve their skills in English, especially in listening, grammar, and reading. This activity is expected to help participants to get a good TOEFL score, making it easier for them to get internships, student exchanges, and work in the future. In addition to English skills, this activity also aims to motivate participants to be more courageous in the international realm with their English skills.

This activity was attended by 20 participants from various universities around the MIC region. Generally, they are students who live around MIC with different study program backgrounds. This program is held once a week every Saturday for two hours. Participants are equipped with the TOEFL ITP Module compiled by the PkM team to help participants learn independently outside the TOEFL class session. In addition, the teacher also provides material including what TOEFL is, functions, scoring, tips and tricks, to get a good score, as well as a detailed explanation for each skill. In between TOEFL materials, the lecturer also tells stories about the cultures of other countries to broaden students’ knowledge and reduce culture shock.

This activity is also an effort to support SDGs, especially Quality Education (SDG 4). With quality education, participants will have superior provisions to enter the increasingly competitive world of work. TOEFL training is indeed a first step to equip participants to flap wider wings to the international job market.

Sunday, January 28, 2024, Lecturer of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program, Dr. Arsanti Wulandari, S.S., M.Hum., was present as a guest speaker in one of the Dimyati Podcast episodes entitled, “Manuscripts as a Window to the Past”. Dimyati Podcast is one of the American podcasts that talks a lot about Indonesian studies from art, culture to politics. Manuscripts as one of Indonesia’s traditional cultural products are raised as one of the themes discussed, because the cultural products of manuscripts contain the mindset of the people of that time. The text contained is data and documentation of past culture which, if revealed, we can also benefit from.

In the context of telling the past of Javanese society at that time, the recording of a series of events, recording of treatment, and the values disguised in a story in the manuscript can reveal civilization, thinking, and even the technology used in past life. Various kinds of manuscripts and their functions are briefly conveyed on the Dimyati Podcast. In addition, the podcast tool is also one of the media to raise one of the cultural products such as manuscripts and increase the reputation of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program, to be better known internationally.

The podcast video link is as follows:

• Manuscript as a Window to the Past by Dr. Arsanti Wulandari, S.S., M.Hum

Purworejo, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in order to maintain the sustainability of the forest ecosystem, Lecturer of Indonesian Language and Literature Study Program of UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Dr. Novi Siti Kussuji Indrastuti, M.Hum., initiated a Community Service (PKM) program in collaboration with Perhutani Forest Management Unit (KPH) South Kedu and PT Kreasi Wisata Global as the management of Menoreh Dreamland tourism, planting together on the commitment of Green Ecotourism. The commitment to Green Ecotourism is shown through steps such as the mass planting of 150 pine tree seedlings and the provision of green open spaces and “Peleluk Pohon” rides as a means to interact directly with nature as well as a symbol of gratitude to nature and awareness of the importance of maintaining forest ecosystems. The joint planting program applies ecological, social, economic, and cultural principles to educate, maintain, and improve environmental sustainability, community welfare, and business sustainability. Not only joint planting, this activity also held an interesting, aesthetic, and fun “Plant and Hug Trees” socialization and education accompanied by live poetry media by Ibu Novi and music/songs, to the general public and environmental activists.

Natural degradation due to human exploitation such as degradation, deforestation, illegal logging, and land conversion into housing or agricultural land are some of the main factors that have caused the decline in forest area around the world. To overcome this, a real approach is needed to increase and foster awareness of the sustainability of forest ecosystems that humans must always protect. One approach with potential solutions is through the concept of Green Ecotourism or ecotourism. This sustainable solution offers an effective platform for education and counseling to the community about the importance of protecting forest ecosystems.

The output of the Community Service activities that have been carried out by Dr. Novi Siti Kussuji Indrastuti, M.Hum., are open to the public and can be accessed through the following link:

Policy Brief

• Policy Brief Raising Awareness of Oxygen Needs through Green Ecotourism Commitment (Case Study in Menoreh Dreamland, Kalilo, Kaligesing, Purworejo)

PKM Video

• Video of Green Ecotourism PKM Activities

Wednesday, May 8, 2024, Archaeology students of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM conducted a field study activity with a visit to Istura Gedung Agung or known as the Presidential Palace of Yogyakarta. As a fulfillment of the mandatory Basic Conservation and Restoration course, this visit involved two batches of Archaeology students, Class of 2021 and Class of 2022, totaling more than 70 students who were guided by the Head of the UGM Archaeology Department, Dr. Mahirta, MA… The students each departed and arrived at the location at 08.30 WIB to gather and give directions by the mentors and instructors regarding matters that need to be considered during the visit.

The tour of the visiting group began with an introduction to the outside of the complex building around Istura Gedung Agung such as the guesthouse and the main building of Istura Gedung Agung along with a brief introduction to the three main rooms where the President welcomed guests. Next, the group of students was directed to the museum building, the Yogyakarta Presidential Palace Museum, to conduct an exclusive tour of the museum’s historical object collections with the art object management guide of the Yogyakarta Presidential Palace Museum, Theresa Sekar Wening, who is also an alumni of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Undergraduate Study Program.

While visiting the museum, the group was shown collections of art objects painted by famous artists such as expressionism or abstract paintings by painter Affandi Koesoema as well as a number of ceramic pottery artifacts, necklaces, and others. Not only seeing paintings and historical artifacts, the students also analyzed the conservation methods and techniques of historical objects according to the objectives of the courses studied. Through interactive museum visits, students are expected to gain knowledge that can be practiced when managing historical and archaeological objects as part of museum management.

Friday, May 17, 2024, the Literary Library Community of Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM together with Kognisi, a learning platform from Kompas Gramedia, held a literacy gathering entitled, “Arriving in Yogyakarta” in the green open courtyard of Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. This literacy gathering coincides with the commemoration of National Book Day which occurs every May 17. Participants who took part in the activity did not only come from UGM students, but students from other universities such as Yogyakarta State University and the general public also attended the literacy meeting of Perpustra UGM with Kognisi.

The literacy activity began with the “Celoteh Buku” session, which is sharing stories about books from each participant of the community to be told in front of other participants to hone storytelling skills. Each participant not only explained the summary of the book’s story, but also raised personal opinions from the book he read. After a number of participants told their books, the “Silih Gilir” session began, where each participant packed their respective books into a brown envelope and gave the book to the right side participant continuously until the signal stopped from the moderator, then they would open the envelope containing the book that had been given by the participant next to them randomly and read the book which was then interspersed with a “Read Together” focus time session from the book he got.

On the same occasion, Perpustra also opened a book donation drive open to the community and students with the aim of donating to those in need to help improve regional literacy.