Students interested in public health traveled to Common River in Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia, to assist with a community health clinic.
The COVE continues to offer opportunities to deepen student understanding of complex social issues by providing opportunities for immersive experiences in environments very different from those available in the local community. Students participate in a series of preparation and reflective activities to create a rich learning opportunity. Alternative break trips are not discrete one-week experiences. In addition to committing to a work-intensive week, students are responsible for attending pre-departure meetings that introduce the participants to the community and organization with which they will be working and the critical issues with which they will be dealing.
Students who participate are civically-engaged undergraduates interested in effecting sustainable local and global change through a continued commitment. In total, participants in these programs contributed more than 4,000 hours of direct service to these communities in Fiscal Year ’14. The alternative break program was featured in Colgate’s Photo Finish campaign in June.
“The bottom line was that we were all there because we believe in a greater purpose than ourselves, and despite our differences in ideology, religion, and other beliefs, we all united to give…” -Brandon Zaccardo ’15
- Community Health Assessments at Common River in Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia. Students worked in the community health clinic, established by the University of Texas medical school, conducting patient intake and collecting health histories.
- School Improvements in Basseterre, St. Kitts. Students installed a safety fence, painted nine classrooms, and lead children in designing and creating an interactive learning mural at a primary school building — thanks to a relationship between Hamilton’s Community Bikes program and St. Kitts community leaders.
- Disaster Response Trip to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with Rebuilding Together. Students provided direct aid through the rehabilitation and restoration of homes of Oklahoma City residents.
- Habitat for Humanity Build in Cumberland County, NJ one of the most economically disadvantaged counties in NJ. Students met the mayor and state representative who praised them for their efforts throughout the week to help improve their community.
- Leadership Program Development with Pathfinder Village in Edmeston, NY. Students worked with staff at Pathfinder to help to develop a Leadership Development program for a post-secondary academy program to be launched in the fall for individuals with Down Syndrome.
These deep immersion experiences are significant to students, enhancing their ability to make meaning of what they learn in the classroom through direct application. Students have the opportunity to reflect on their personal values and ethics through the lens of often difficult experiences, leading to profound questions and conclusions.