Aubrey Anderson Participates in Spring Break Service Trip to Nicaragua

2018 Apr 26

Aubrey Anderson , a junior communications studies major from Worthington , and nine other Buena Vista University (BVU) students participated in an AWOL (Alternative Week of Off-site Learning) trip during spring break, enabling them to volunteer their time and service with a focus on sustainable social and economic development in Los Fierros, Nicaragua.

The BVU participants served with the Panorama Service Expedition, an organization that promotes sustainable social and economic development projects. Throughout the week, the group immersed themselves in the area's culture, serving on a farm alongside locals helping prepare grounds for planting coffee trees, painting a civilian's home, and playing with children in the community.

Advisors for the experience were Ashley Farmer-Hanson, assistant dean for student life and director of civic engagement at BVU; and Mark Shea, director of student success and assistant dean of student affairs.

This year marked BVU's 20th AWOL experience, which has led to more than 760 volunteers worldwide and an estimated 36,060 hours of service - furthering its mission to immerse students in different cultures, heighten social awareness, and advocate life-long social action through service on a local, regional, and international level.

"AWOL provides students with a glimpse of the world that many people do not get to see," said Dr. Ashley Farmer-Hanson, assistant dean for student life and director of civic engagement. "They see people at their most vulnerable stages in life and work alongside of them. These individuals let us in to their world to learn more about their community, social justice issues, and to provide us with a new outlook on life."

Three AWOL trips took place this year, with more than 25 BVU students, faculty and staff participating. The other trips focused on sustainable social and economic development in Los Fierros, Nicaragua, human trafficking in urban communities in Atlanta, and tackling hunger and food sustainability in Waco, Texas.