Experiencing life at the border
A group of 21 Heidelberg students participated in a transformative experience during their trip May 31-June 7 to the U.S.-Mexico border. They spent a week doing a summer program with the children in three immigrant communities as part of the NDI 345 course, Service Learning on the U.S/Mexico Border.
Prior to the trip, the students prepared craft activities and games to do with each age group. Their hosts for this experience were the women of the grass-roots organization ARISE, which has been hosting volunteer groups like Heidelberg’s in their communities for 20 years. In addition to the activities with the children, the Heidelberg students participated in an educational excursion every afternoon to visit local families on both sides of the border, sharing meals with them and listening to the stories of their lives in order to gain a deeper understanding of border issues.
The co-chaperones for this year's trip were Spanish professor Cindy Lepeley and Heidelberg alumni Cheryl King, ’05, and Mindy Enderle, ‘07.
Posted on June 23, 2008