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In 2012, Western University celebrated the 10-Year Anniversary of the Alternative Spring Break program!Over 1000 Western students have participated in ASB since it began in 2002-03, and we are excited to reflect on all the places you've been, and all the things you've learned as a result of your engagement with this Community Engaged Learning program.
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For 10 years, Western’s Alternative Spring Break program has developed compassionate leaders with global perspectives. This program embodies the Western experience by providing faculty, staff and students with unique opportunities to learn, contribute, connect and leave their marks on the world – with a streak of purple.
- Amit Chakma, President, Western University
What is Alternative Spr
ing Break?
Alternative Spring B
reak (ASB) is an ex
citing opportunity for
Western
University students t
o engage in a week
-long, hands-on comm
unity service
learning experience. S
tudents might join a
team to teach Eng
lish in the
Dominican Republic, p
rovide medical clinic
s to under-serviced
communities in
Costa Rica, or suppo
rt programs for at-r
isk populations in our
own community
of London, Ontario.
Coordinated collabora
tively by Housing & Ancillary
Services and The Stu
dent
Success Centre, ASB
is designed to encour
age students to do s
omething
different during Western’s R
eading Week in February. Each
year, we partner
with a variety of c
ommunity organizatio
ns, both locally and
across the globe,
that are anxious to
benefit from the kno
wledge, passion, and
dedication of
Western’s best and bri
ghtest.
When students participa
te in an ASB experie
nce, they have the
chance to learn
about different cultu
res, communities, and
social issues by work
ing side-by-side
with local citizens. Th
ey also have a uniqu
e opportunity to lear
n from their
teammates - on the
service sites, and in
the facilitated refle
ction that is a
hallmark of communi
ty service learning.
It is our hope that
students return from
their experiences w
ith a greater
understanding of the
challenges facing th
e community, as well
as the
community’s capacity
to enact sustainable
change. Year after ye
ar, students report
an increased sense of
civic engagement, a
deeper interest in th
eir academic
studies, and an appr
eciation of newfound
friendships with lik
e-minded peers.
The goals of the AS
B program are:
1. to develop mutually-
beneficial partnerships
between Western stud
ents
and community orga
nizations in London a
nd across the globe
2. to encourage active
participation in the c
ommunity and increa
se
students’ civic engage
ment
3. to support students’
academic success and
career
development
These goals connect
to the program’s mot
to, which
encourages participan
ts to be the change
they want
to see in the world
, and in themselves.
While we
recognize the limitat
ions of a one-week
experience –
for both the commu
nity and the student
– we are
consistently impressed
with the change st
udents are
able to effect in th
eir personal lives, wit
hin their
academic studies, an
d in their future co
mmunity
involvements.
10 Years Later
The ASB program started with five students and one community in 2003, and has grown to support approximately 160 students and seven community partners annually. What began as an ‘interesting idea’ has transformed into a large-scale initiative that contributes to two of Western’s core priorities: experiential learning and internationalization. Since 2003, more than 1,000 students, staff and faculty have participated in the program, serving in 20 communities in North and South America.
The program has contributed to a growing network of socially responsible Western graduates who continue to make a difference in their personal and professional lives. In these pages, we celebrate their passion for community engagement and honour the communities that have graciously provided our students with rich opportunities for learning.
Back in 2003 – the first year of the ASB program – it was difficult to believe
that we could really make a difference in the world. After
all, the world was
(and is) facing seemingly insurmountable problems (hunger,
homelessness, disease,
poverty) and we were seven people. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylv
ania. For one week.
When we returned from Pittsburgh, it became clear the d
ifference we had
made – and would continue to make – was twofold. First, there wer
e programs we
could support and people around the globe with whom we co
uld make meaningful
connections. Over the years, our partners have confirmed it
is the ‘being with’
part of service that is the most powerful. Second, and p
erhaps more tangibly,
we could have a significant impact on students’ personal deve
lopment, including
interpersonal skills, appreciation of diversity, and sense of
social responsibility.
Alternative Spring Break experiences can contribute to pos
itive change – for
communities and for students.
It wasn’t long after the inaugural year that we landed on a
fitting motto for the
program. Originating from Mahatma Gandhi’s inspiration to “be the change you wish
to see in the world,” Be the change has come to signify th
e hope of the ASB
program. If Western students can change their attitudes,
beliefs and actions to
represent the type of world they want to live in, maybe th
at world will someday
become the one we live in.
In 2008, I spent a week with 15 Western students in
San Jose, Costa Rica.
It remains one of the greatest learning experiences of my
career, and of my life.
We kept a team journal to capture some of the highlights o
f our experience, and
to share messages with one another. I haven’t always been
able to express the
purpose of the ASB program in ways that make clear its p
ower and potential, but
that week – in the team journal – I think I got very close. I offer those words
here, as a message to the 1,000+ students who have be
en part of ASB and
the thousands more who will ‘be the change’ in the years to come.
I hope you are reading this some long, lonely day in the fu
ture – wishing for
some inspiration, encouragement, or...at the very least...hope
.
It has been a tough day; certainly, an emotional one. We a
re here, at
the end of it, a little perplexed. We are grappling with big
, big questions;
questions to which none of us – at this point – have any comforting answers.
Alternative Spring Break: An Introduction
This is good. It is always better to have more questions.
It keeps you humbleIt keeps you working.It keeps you changing.And that, my dear amigos y a
migas, is what it’s all about.
So...what do I hope for you? Where to begin?
I hope that you will find the courage to tell somebody at ho
me about your
experience; somebody you trust – and trust they will value your
precious ideas.
I hope that you will find at least some of the answers to th
e questions
you’re asking today...and that the answers lead to more que
stions.
I hope that you will find the motivation to be the kind of p
eople, citizens,
parents, friends, doctors/nurses, teachers, etc. that make
a difference –
big or small.And I hope that the differen
ce (big or small) is the kind of catalyst the
world has been looking for.
With gratitude and hope,Stephanie
A heartfelt thanks to...
• the early believers who let us rent a van in 2003 and,
with that, let us build
a dream.• the faculty, staff and stud
ent team leaders who have spent countless hours
preparing, facilitating, guiding and enriching – you are the backbone of thes
e
experiences. • the community partners who
have welcomed us into your schools, churches,
hospitals, and community centres and treated us like ‘family’ – you are being the
change every single day.
• the students who continue to say “what if?” and make us believe that th
ings
can and will be different.
To the next 10 and beyond,
Stephanie Hayne Beatty Experiential Learning Team C
oordinator
The Student Success Centre: Careers, Leadership, & Experience
Every time I hear U2's “Beautiful Day,” I
feel a gentle pull at my heart, as I remember
seven of us in a van – lost, hungry, laughing
and crying (from happiness) in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. I have led and participated in many
service projects since, but none bring back such
powerful physical emotions as the ASB journey
to Pittsburgh. There was something about the
common purposes we shared that created – for
me – a template of what service trips should
be. Together, we wanted to: be in solidarity with
like-minded, change-the-world-type people; share
and learn from our experiences; be inspired by
others; and leave a positive mark on the world.
The group of us, I think, knew we could leave a
bigger mark collectively than we could individually,
so we got into a van and got lost in Pennsylvania
and, just as Bono promised, what we did not
have, we did not need and what we did not
know, we could somehow feel.
- Alydia Smith, Pittsburgh
I have very fond memories of the week I spent with a handful of other students in Pittsburgh. We all signed up knowing that it would be a ‘service-learning’ experience, without really knowing what the words meant. That week changed and helped mould me into the person I am today.When we learned about Bill Strickland – a man who created educational opportunities for those less fortunate in his community – I was inspired to give more and be generous with not only my possessions, but my time. When we spent the afternoon playing board games and talking with homeless men, it challenged my stereotypes. When we worked on renovating an old building into a community space for artists, it taught me to see the beauty in all different type of places. All of this happened in a few short days.
I realized we can find opportunities to make a difference in our own communities on a regular basis. Big or small, every gesture matters.
Ranjena Maloni, Pittsburgh
Project P ittsburgh was the beginning of a whole new way for me of understanding how higher education could interact in a meaningful way with community. The connections
students made from their f ields of study to community issues were almost instantaneous,
and the energy to learn more was inspiring. It had both personal and professional implica-
tions for me as wel l. Years later, I have worked in international development in East Africa,
completed a Master’s in Poverty Reduction and Development Management and have
worked as the Associate Director for International Service Learning at the University of
British C olumbia for the past four years. It was hard to know in the moment exactly how
Project P ittsburgh was going to change my trajectory, but the deep conversations punctu-
ated by bouts of singing U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day,” had a wonderful energy and sense of
promise about it!
-Tamara Baldwin, P ittsburgh
It’s hard to
believe it h
as already b
een seven ye
ars since ou
r reading
week Journ
ey to Jacks
onville, or “J
2J.” I don’t
remember
the
names of a
ll the peop
le I worked
with, but
I do remem
ber certain
realizations
strengthenin
g within m
e as my sho
vel chipped
away at tha
t
great big ho
le – realizations
that have fo
rmed the b
asis of the
eight
years of life
, work and
service th
at have fol
lowed.
First, I disc
overed a lov
e for constr
uction work
. Getting d
irty, sweaty
and sore br
ings life mu
ch-needed
balance. While p
articipating
in
community li
fe is import
ant to me, I
discovered
during J2J
that my
body, as we
ll as my min
d and soul,
need to wo
rk regularly
for me to
be a whole
and balanc
ed person.
Second, my
love for tea
mwork was
strengthen
ed. There is
a deep
satisfaction
that comes
from collect
ively perfect
ing a delicat
e fascia
corner, or f
rom being o
ne of 20 p
eople hoistin
g a truss o
nto a roof i
n
a flurry of
coordinated
chaos. Finally,
the fine s
tudents and
volunteers
on the Jac
ksonville site
confirmed
my love for
people: for
serving
people, listen
ing to peop
le, being wit
h people. I
remain thor
oughly
convinced t
hat there is
nothing so
important
in life that
it should
distract us f
rom making
the service
of our fello
w human b
eings our
first priority
. - Christina
Edmiston (
Chabot), Ja
cksonville
It came together so fast we could hardly believe it. Yes – let’s build a house! Yes – let’s partner with Habitat for Humanity. Yes – let’s pick Jacksonville, Florida because it sounds like an interesting spot we can travel to by bus! And the rest, as they say, is history. As trip leaders, I remember it vividly – trying to anticipate the questions from our student participants: What’s it going to be like? What will our accommodations be like? What should we bring? What will we need while we’re there? What will our days be like? Oh my goodness...we had no idea! So we planned what we could, crossed our fingers and packed everything under the sun!Memories that stand out include:
·Meeting the homeowners – hearing their stories and seeing excitement for their new home as they worked alongside us.·The amazing students who, instead of heading to the beach, decided to sweat it out on a job site during reading week.·The unbelievable power of a team that literally raised a roof! ·The tangible progress that a day can make – from a bunch of boards to a semblance of a home!·Every night, when we reflected on our day, we knew this experience had changed us forever.This trip left me wanting more. I couldn’t wait to plan the next year’s service learning adventure!
- Nancy Stewart, JacksonvilleMy trip to Jacksonville turned out to be the highlight of my first year at Western. This quote is perhaps a relevant way of saying thank you:
‘Each of us has the potential to contribute...you have a great opportunity to make a new shape of the world.’ (Dalai Lama)ASB made this potential our reality. It gave us the opportunity to help build a more loving world and allowed us to see just the kind of impact we can make in people’s lives if we take initiative and act. Thank you, Western, for believing in this vision.
- Natalie Grella, Jacksonville
As an RA, I was familiar with the concept of service and
leaving the world a better place
than we found it, but
it wasn’t until my ASB experience
that I truly recognized
the ability within each of us to shape
someone’s future.
As a result of our efforts, a family now has a place
to
live that is affordable and susta
inable. ASB not only
shapes a brighter future for others, it shapes tho
se who
experience it. John Wooden once
said “sports do not
build character; they rev
eal it.” My Alternative Spring
Break experience has shap
ed who I am today and has,
without a doubt, revealed
my character.
- Tim Lade, Florida
Working with Orphanage Outreach changed the way I view the world
around me, and the way I understand myself in the world. It reminded me
to slow down, to be mindful and think critically, and to appreciate everyday
experiences. Some of my most memorable moments on ASB were teaching
English at a local school; visiting a Haitian batay (slum), where the hospital
consisted of rolled-out tin cans and a half-empty bottle of alcohol; and
simply playing with the kids – especially baseball, their favourite sport! It
taught me to find reward in the smile of a child, to celebrate our differences,
and that learning from one another transcends language barriers. It taught me
that although you can’t change the world in a week, every tiny effort is worth
it to make a difference in the lives of these children.
- Melissa “Lisi” Marcucci, Dominican Republic
Leading a group to Winterhaven, Florida was my first experience
with community service learning at Western. The concept was simple
enough: put 20 people on a bus, drive to Florida and work
with Habitat for Humanity for a week. The students thrived
together – their sense of work ethic, sense of belonging and sense of responsibility strengthened throughout the
experience. It opened the eyes of our engineering student
participants – they spoke firsthand about engineering stronger houses to better withstand hurricanes. It opened
the eyes of our sociology student participants – they spoke firsthand about the socio-economic conditions that new
Latin-American immigrants faced in the Southern US.And
unexpectedly, it opened my eyes. I anticipated going on this trip
to half-chaperone and half-facilitate our students’ learning only to
find the experience challenged my own beliefs, and I had just as
much to learn from this experience as our students did.
- Chris Alleyne, Florida
The highlight of my experience was how profoundly it changed my perception of service and helped me realize its relevance to civic society. Our group was based in a town not too far from the Haitian-border, and not only did we have the opportunity to facilitate English language lessons, we also were invited to construct accommodations for the next group of volunteers. In this way, we were contributing to a continuous chain of service that would, ultimately, help to transform this community. My ASB experience is still relevant to me, as I remind myself daily to live life with humility.- Philip Chow, Dominican Republic
Reflecting on my ASB experiences offers a sacred gift; a gift that
gives back generously as each memory surfaces about each of the
students I travelled with and the outstanding community partners
we met.My Florida experience was very special to me as it was my first ASB. The
feeling of community that builds immediately on a 24-hour bus ride is
incredibly unique and life-changing. The parallels of us as an ASB team and
of the home we were building were incredible: as the house took shape, so did
our team; as the house got stronger, so did we. It was almost all too easy to
think this experience was a large teambuilding exercise
over the course of five days.
Reality set in quickly the exact moment we locked eyes and
hearts with the family whose home we were constructing:
this was about giving of ourselves to make someone else’s
life better. Isn’t that what life is about?
- Becca Carroll, Miami
Louis, the youngest son of a family
building “sweat equity” through the
Habitat for Humanity Home Buyers
program, was one new friend I will never
forget. The most charismatic volunteer –
never without his plastic hardhat – Louis
was a master at directing traffic.
The frame of the house was about
finished when the request came from
our site leader: “I’m going to need a
few fellas to hop on up, and put up the
trusses.” Confident he wasn’t speaking
to me, I scanned the room, silently urging
my teammates to volunteer. Then, Louis
made eye contact. He marched over,
pulled on my pant leg and asked, “Señor,
who’s going to build my roof? If you
don’t build my roof, I’m not gonna have a
roof.”
With that simple statement, came the
challenge of change. If not me, who? If
not now, when?
- David Simmonds, Miami
Dominican Republic
I consider my involvement and experience
with service learning to be complementary
to my academic pursuits. In fact, to
be quite frank, I cannot even begin
to imagine what my undergraduate
experience would have been like had I not
taken the risk to get involved in ASB. The
time spent preparing and working with
other like-minded individuals infused my
time at Western with a richness that I
could not find elsewhere. At the heart of
my experiences, I came to see the wisdom
in a quote by Dr. Albert Schweitzer: “The
only ones among you who will be really
happy are those who will have sought and
found how to serve.”
- Vincent Fruci, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
As a Staff Team Leader for ASB Dominican 2007, I was inspired – inspired by the local community, the organization we worked with and most of all by the student participants. Each day, I took away a feeling of hope, excitement and learning from these students, and from the program as a whole. I not only witnessed ‘aha’ moments with the students, but for myself as well. ASB wasn’t a one-time service-learning program for me – I was able to continue such service in my personal and professional life. ASB changed me personally, and I was able to ‘be the change’ and pay it forward to other faculty, staff and students at other universities and educational institutions. As an educator and past coordinator of ASB, I strongly believe community service-learning programs need to be an option for students in all levels of education and in both co-curricular and curricular models.
- Rich SwamiNathan, Dominican Republic
In 2007, I travelled to Cuernavaca, Mexico. I am currently pursuing my master´s in nursing and nurse practitioner designation, with the intention of working with marginalized groups. I plan to use my nursing knowledge abroad, and to link my passion for social justice with my love of health. My experience in Mexico has shaped many of my decisions in life: when I travel, I seek to make responsible decisions and stay at family-run lodgings. I see the environmental and human impact of my decisions and attempt to make sustainable and ethical decisions about what l consume.- Marilene Caetano, Mexico
A lot of kids go to school
wanting to be a lawyer,
doctor or other professiona
l. Lots of others are like
me. We arrive at Western
with pluck, enthusiasm an
d
a vague hope to someday m
ake a difference. I was
enjoying myself and learnin
g tons, but had a nagging
sense I was lacking direct
ion. For me, this changed
after going on my first of
three ASB trips to post-
Katrina Louisiana. Helping
to rebuild people’s homes,
hearing about the storm th
at destroyed them, and
seeing a community strive
to restore itself turned th
at
vague hope into a clear se
t of goals.
Before ASB,
I wanted to help people.
After
participating, I found ways
to tailor my studies and
experiences towards a futu
re career in disaster and
emergency management. Ri
ght now, I am developing
the skills I need to be su
ccessful in this career. I’m
not there yet, but ASB g
ave me something to work
towards. - Lucas Bailey, New Orlean
s
I would not have done a portion of what I have done in the last few years if it wasn’t for ASB. Because of what we saw and did – and more importantly, what we discussed in those reflections afterward – I knew the only way I could be comfortable with my contribution to the global community was if I immediately “stepped up my game” at home. I took what I know – the dis-ability community – and ran rampant with it. ASB showed me how a small idea can flourish and, without that experience, I never would have tried. I also would have stayed in my little Ontario bubble. In-stead, I have been out seeing the world and trying to learn and change from what I see and do. Hopefully, in the pro-cess, I leave it a little better than how I found it.
- Heather Molyneaux, Costa Rica
I was honoured to be one of the team leaders who accompanied a group of enthusiastic and committed Western students to work with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans. The primary goal was to build homes, but the real mission was to restore a sense of pride and dignity to individuals who had literally lost their very existence and purpose in life following Hurricane Katrina. These experiences had an enormous effect upon me, as I witnessed first-hand how humanity can form bonds beyond economic and geographic borders.I returned determined to make a difference in the field of service learning and, in 2010, led a dedicated group of teachers from the Faculty of Education to work in schools in Dominican Republic. I continue to follow my ‘path of passion’ for service education by monitoring local service learning placements for students at Althouse College as part of their teaching requirements.
- Jim Rule, New Orleans
Our team visited Winnipeg during one of the Manitoba capital’s decorated cold spells. Even with frozen faces, the kind and charismatic people of Winnipeg gave us something to smile about. We spent our days volunteering at Siloam Mission and Winnipeg Harvest. The moments that ring true for me are the times I spent listening to those facing hardship in their lives. Sharing my experiences with my peers helped me develop a collective consciousness, which I utilized to better understand the social and economic divisions that injure those less fortunate in our country.
My learning was profound. I couldn’t have asked for a more enriching life experience.
- Rich Caccamo, Winnipeg
There were two musicians on the corner, creating beautiful music: one guitarist and one violinist. My teammates insisted I sit in for one song on the guitar, but I brushed off their suggestion. Why? I was the leader. The trip shouldn’t be about me having fun, right? Wrong. At that moment, I realized my immersion into the experience and my pursuit of happiness that week was important for the team as well. I played one song with the violinist.On the final day of our Habitat for Humanity experience, we went to pick up some of our teammates at their build site. Thrilled about their building progress, they insisted we get off the bus and look at the house they had helped build for five days. My jaw dropped. At that moment, I realized the best decision I could have made had been to play guitar downtown on our first night. Why? The would-be homeowner was the violinist.- Blake Fleischacker, New Orleans
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly
what it was that ASB insp
ired in me.
I have always been keen on
social equity, ethics and hea
lth, and
ASB provided new perspect
ives and insights. My experi
ences with
ASB started me really think
ing about how to incorporate
social justice
into everything I do, and g
ave fuel to my thoughts abou
t the world’s
challenges. The experiences
and the people made (and
continue
to make) me think about th
e world and my role in it. I
put these
thoughts and passions into m
y current work as a master
of public
health student, but more im
portantly into myself, as a pe
rson. ASB
has shaped the way I live m
y life.
- Debra Kriger, Guatemala
My experience with the ASB program opened my eyes to the incredible talent, enthusiasm and compassion of the students we have here at Western. It al lowed me to connect with students from across the campus community and gave me a great deal of confidence in the future as these students move on in their lives, and I have no doubt, become the social, intel lectual and global leaders of tomorrow.
- Rob Esselment, New Orleans
Prior to boarding the bus, m
any of
us had acquainted ourselves
with the
initial aftermath of Hurrican
e Katrina –
– the harrowing stories of loved ones lost
,
the footage of entire neigh
bourhoods engulfed
in swells of dirty water. Yet
, the city we arrived
at in 2010 was colourful, v
ibrant and bursting
with pride after having won
the Super Bowl
days earlier. It became impo
ssible to see ourselves
as a benevolent force that
had come to help
improve some tragically dilap
idated place: everyone
around us was unabashedly
proud of their city
and we felt lucky to be th
ere. There was still
work to be done – long-term, frustrat
ing, ‘capital
W’ Work – but I was thrilled to be a
small
part of the huge, collective
push onwards
and upwards. That first day
of wandering
the streets and talking to N
OLA natives, I
experienced the strange rush
of falling in love
with a city that wasn’t my o
wn.
- Jasmine Irwin, New Orleans
Feeling good after completing what should have been a 10-minute walk (turned 50-minute marathon), I arrived with 20 other Western students at a small public school in the Dominican Republic. While soaking wet and shoeless – a lot of footwear was lost to the currents caused by rainfall in the small town – my comrades and I were still armed with fresh chalk and basic Spanish translations, ready for our week teaching English to begin. Despite the language
barrier, communication flowed smoothly and we were able to accomplish more than I had ever thought possible. The week was supposed to be about teaching, but I ended up doing more learning. ASB not only provided me insight into another community, culture and language; it also taught me lessons about myself and others that continue to influence me today.- Becky McLean, Dominican Republic
I was part of ASB 2011 to Costa Rica and
my experience was nothing short of an out-
of-body experience . . . SO .. . I traveled again in
2012 to Panama! It was amazing to meet
so many like-minded individuals striving to
have a positive, meaningful impact by engaging
in the welfare of others and participating in
the development of a more civil society. The
ASB program enabled me to build bridges
across communities, to foster meaningful bonds
and bring about social change by helping
others help themselves. These invaluable
experiences were a reaffirmation of my
interest for working in developing countries
and participating in their progress and
growth. The message is a simple one - BE
THE CHANGE - for a better world to live
in. It has to start with you and me.
- Tanya Rafiq, Costa Rica
Jeff gets up and puts his coat around his triage clinic patient, not because she is sick but because she has been sitting in the shade for some time and seems cold.Catherine listens with a stethoscope to a child’s heartbeat, then lets the little girl listen to hers as well, not just to be playful but to teach her about the importance of taking care of her own health and body.Phyllis speaks directly to an older gentleman about his cancer diagnosis, communicating not
only with the words that she uses (and are translated for him) but also with the genuine emotion that she puts into them.In only one week our team could give very little
to the under-served communities of Costa Rica, but Alternative Spring Break (2011) reminded us of the invaluable lesson that “The manner of giving is worth more than the gift” (Pierre Corneille).
- Elan Paulson, Costa Rica
It was the end of our trip, and the team had split
into pairs to distribute donations we had collected
to local families.Katie and I had spent the better
part of the last half hour showing clothes, toys and
school supplies to the family we were visiting.
Their house was small, dimly lit, and had livestock
scampering around the dirt f loor at our feet.The
family had been splitting the donations into two
piles, leaving Katie and I puzzled.Finally, we shared
a look of understanding. This family, that had so
little themselves, was taking the few items they
knew they would use, and building another larger
pile of items they would give to their friends and
neighbours.It was an act of pure self lessness that
taught me more about the human capacity for love
than anything else I’ve ever experienced.
- Kelly Hobson, Peru
In February 2012, I participated in the
Alternative Spring Break program and
traveled to Costa Rica with a group of
the most amazing individuals I have ever
met. In the short week we were there, I
am sure we were able to affect the lives
of the people we met through the work
we did. I also know the experiences we had
together will resound within us to mould
the paths we lead, and the that lessons
we learned will continue to shape our
lives for the better. Mahatma Ghandi once
said the best way to discover the self was
through the service of others. I cannot
speak more highly of the way Western’s
Alternative Spring Break allowed us
such self-discovery through its amazing
opportunities.- James im, costa rica
In my third year (2011), I travelled to Nicaragua as
part of a team of 18 incredible members of the
Western community. We worked with International
Service Learning to provide health care services to
a small, rural community outside of Managua. In my
final year (2012), I was selected as a Team Leader for
the ASB trip to the Dominican Republic. My team of
27 worked with Outreach360 to teach elementary
students basic English. In fact, our trip taught the
first portion of the English curriculum, and every
subsequent group of volunteers would build on this
initial skill development. This showed me the great
importance of “poco a poco,” or “little bylittle” in promoting positive change in the children’s
lives. Both of my ASB experiences influenced me
greatly, as I am now considering careers in either
medicine or teaching.
- Kevin Talbot, Dominican Republic
The ASB Team Leader experience in Panama 2012 was transformative in and of itself; however, one of the most rewarding aspects of the role was seeing the transformation that occurred in each and every one of our team members. After a week of building relationships, learning about and engaging with a new community, and witnessing medical conditions that were sometimes shocking, one of my most memorable experiences happened during our final team reflection in the busy Miami airport. Despite the hectic surroundings, each member of our team shared genuine reflections of their experience, and the unique effect it had on them. One participant shared a thought that has always stayed with me: “ASB brought something out of me that I didn’t think was there.” Regardless of students’ expectations going into this program, its impact is real, strong, and often unexpected!
- Rick Ezekiel, Panama
Thank you to our ASB Community partnersOutreach 360
(2005 – 2012): Originally incorporated in 1995, Outreach 360 focuses on education – English, literacy and community health – to provide children with opportunities to break the cycle of poverty. ASB has served in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic and Jinotega, Nicaragua
Habitat for Humanity (2004 – 2012): Nearly two billion people around the world live in slum housing, and more than 100 million are homeless. Habitat for Humanity provides simple, decent shelter to those in need. ASB has served in Jacksonville, Florida; Miami, Florida; Winter Haven, Florida; and New Orleans, Louisiana
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) provides transition, career and enterprise services so young people can develop skills and lead positive lives. YOU believes thatinvesting in youth and strong communities go hand-in-hand, and knows many youth need guidance and support to reach their truepotential.
International Service Learning (2008 – 2012): ISL offers experiential, multi-disciplinary humanitarian health programs in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Africa, and provides health care to more than 300,000 underserved individuals annually. ASB has served in San Jose, Costa Rica; Managua, Nicaragua; and Panama City, Panama.
Nexos Voluntarios (2008 – 2012): NeVo is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that promotes social development in Peru by providing opportunities for foreign volunteers to make significant contributions to the some of the country’s poorest communities. ASB has served in Piura and Urubamba, Peru.
Winnipeg Harvest is a non-profit, community-based organization that serves as a food distribution and training centre. Its goals are to collect and share surplus food with people who are hungry and to offer training opportunities that help people step up and out of poverty, while ultimately eliminating the need for food banks in the community.
Siloam Mission is a Christian humanitarian agency that works to alleviate the hardships of the poor and homeless, and assists with the transition toward self-sufficient and generous lifestyles.
Other valued community partners
• Union Project
• East End Cooperative
• Northside Commons
• The Boys & Girls Club of London
• Ark Aid Mission
• Merrymount Family Support
and Crisis Centre
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore
• London Food Bank
• Nokee Kwee
• Heart and Stroke Foundation
• McCormick Home
• Northbrae Public School
• Limberlost Community
• St. Leonard’s Community Services
• Manitoba ReStore
• Cuernavaca Centre for Intercultural
Dialogue on Development
• Cross-Cultural Solutions
• Heifer International