COMPASS HEADINGS is the Alternative Break Program of The Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning. Alternative Breaks are an opportunity for students to travel off campus (usually), do service work together, and to reflect more deeply on themselves and societal issues that face us. Being with a group of students focused on performing service and reflecting on that work can be one of the most meaningful experiences one can have. It can also simply be fun to go to a new place, get to know new people and work together to make a meaningful change for an individual or an area. All trips are substance free and participants are expected to abide by these rules.
Compass Headings trips come under the Civic Engagement area in the Compass model. They always have a reflective component, often with readings and at times with an associated Readers College or some other credit bearing opportunity. There are also at times opportunities for Civic Leadership by helping to organize and lead the trips as well as becoming involved on campus or on site with policy issues that are encountered on the trip. While traditionally occurring during Spring Break, some trips have occurred at other times.
PAST TRIPS HAVE INCLUDED:
Ticuantepe, Nicaragua, Spring Break. This year we inaugurate a trip to Ticuantepe, Nicaragua with Bridges to Community, a non-profit cultural exchange organization. Bridges challenge is to create a world where basic needs are treated as human rights: shelter, nutrition, education, healthcare, and employment. They work to meet this goal by bringing groups of volunteers to live in materially poor communitites where they work on ongoing community development projects. We will be taking a small group of 10 students in this initial year to work on building a house or a school kitchen as well as smokeless stoves. The trip will leave on Friday, March 13 and return to campus early on Monday, March 23. Program fees and travel expenses are approximately $2,200 plus spending money.
HWS Responds Trip to New Orleans:
January Break: Students will spend the week rebuilding houses in the New Orleans area for Operation Helping Hands. The group stays overnight in Louisville, KY on the way down and back. Accommodations have varied on previous trips but include a dry place to sleep, 3 meals a day and showers. This is hard but rewarding work. You will be asked to do pre-trip meetings, readings (news articles, etc) and participate in nightly reflections as well as be asked to keep a journal on the trip. We will also debrief on our return. The cost of this trip is approximately $300 for vans, gas, a donation to our hosts and lodging.
March Break: The March Break trip to NOLA will be similar to the January trip but will be an encouraged componoent of the Politics of Disaster class being offered this Spring. However, it will be open to ther students as well. All students are expected to participate in reflections, etc. While most of the group will be doing housing reconstruction with Operation Helping Hands and Phoenix of New Orleans (PNOLA), there will be opportunities for other types of work with PNOLA as well, depending on community needs and student interest. Because of the size of the group and logistical needs, the cost of this trip will be approximately $650. The trip will leave on Friday, March 13 and return on Sunday, March 22. The deadline for this trip is November 21.
Domestic March Break Opportunities:
Pocahontas State Park, Va. Spend the week at this beautiful state park outside of Richmond, Va. Past projects include clearing land for an educational nature trail, installing drainage pipes, building bridges and removing/re-building/replacing fishing piers. You will stay in a lodge (sleeping bags and mattresses on the floor) that has a large kitchen. Participants pair up to do dinners co-op style and nightly reflections are held after dinner each night. One day is devoted to sight-seeing in the area. If you like the outdoors, this is the trip for you. Trip leaves Saturday morning of spring break and returns the following Saturday. Projected cost: Approx. $150.
Mariam Boyd Elementary School, Warrenton, N.C. Students will spend the week working at this rural elementary school in a variety of capacities including one-on-one tutoring, group reading/math help and general classroom assistance duties. HWS students prepare crafts and activities for children to participate in during the after-school program run by the Norlina Methodist Church. The church also serves as the host site where meals are prepared and consumed and reflection activities occur. Cots are provided but please bring a sleeping bag and pillow. The group can expect to be warmly welcomed by the entire community and lasting friendships are established with the children and teachers. There may be a Readers College associated with this trip, which will require some readings associated with poverty, class and race, discussions before and during the trip and a short paper integrating the readings and trip upon return. The trip leaves on Saturday of Spring Break and returns the following Saturday. Projected Cost: $100-$150.
Geneva, NY Do you find yourself in Geneva over Spring Break? That doesn't mean you can't get involved with helping others! There are many ways to get civically engaged and you have the time to really dig into issues or get involved on a day to day basis with an organization. We will tailor the service to your interests and community needs. For example, you can work every day at the Community Lunch Program, the Boys and Girls Club, or a daycare center. You could be a teachers assistant in a Geneva classroom. You could read stories or do a program for the Geneva kids who would otherwise have America Reads that week, but usually don't because we are on break. You could do some research for an agency or group in town. You could also do a sampling of activities if that is your preference. For this ASB, you tell us the things you would like to do and we will do our best to match it. Participants will stay in their residences. While several group meals will be held so you can discuss and reflect on their experiences with Associate Director of CCESL Katie Flowers, for the most part students will be responsible for their own meals. Cost for this ASB is tentatively set at $50 to cover the group meals and possible transportation costs.
Design your own ASB!
Are you going to be in the Boston, Washington, D.C. or NYC areas over break? That does not mean you can't have your own mini-ASB while you are there. For a few hours, a day, or the week, there are organizations where you can lend a hand. The following web sites will help you be civically engaged if you are headed to these major metropolitan areas over break:
Boston: We connect people with causes, and you'll find thousands of ways to help make a difference in your communities. Look for specific causes (like environmental), or ways to participate (like events).
Washington, D.C.:
Greater D.C. Cares is the leading coordinator of volunteering and business philanthropy in the Washington region. We are a network of thousands of volunteers and hundreds of nonprofits and businesses working together to make this the best place to live and work for all who live here.
VolunteerMatch is a leader in the nonprofit world dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer, and business leaders committed to civit engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 61,000 nonprofit organizations.
One Brick: Volunteering with us is easy. There's no paperwork. No orientations. No hassles. Simply check out our event calendar for upcoming volunteer opportunities. When you see something you're interested in joining, just RSVP online.
New York City:
NYCares: New York Cares was founded by a group of friends who wanted to take action against the serious social issues facing our city. Their goal was to meet pressing community needs by mobilizing caring New Yorkers in volunteer service - and this continues to be our mission today.
Volunteernyc: The Mayor's Volunteer Center and United Way New York City are proud to present VolunteerNYC.org to serve the dual purpose of providing meaningful volunteer opportunities for New Yorkers and providing nonprofit organizations in New York City the opportunity to post their volunteer needs and publicize the services provided by their organizations. By tailoring this website specifically to New York City, our database will allow you to search within your own borough and zipcode and get travel information for posted opportunities. The mission of VolunteerNYC.org is to help even the busiest New Yorker become a volunteer by giving them a great place to start.
One Brick: See the description for Washington.
