Most students will scamper off to a tropical getaway head to roommates’ mountain condos or mosey home this weekend for spring break. At the same time 175 Pepperdine waves will be splitting up in teams for the 10th annual Project Serve trips all around the western hemisphere.
The majority of the teams will be crossing U.S. borders to volunteer time and supplies to the foreign countries of Fiji Guatemala Honduras Panama Ecuador Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. In each unique country the Project Serve teams will have distinct purposes from educational to medical.
Explained Project Serve coordinator Elizabeth Johnstone “We try to cater to a lot of different majors and interests through the variety of the projects.” Along with co-directing Project Serve with Michael Miguel Johnstone will also be making a veteran trip back to Fiji over the break.
“I couldn’t not return to Fiji Johnstone explained. There are such amazing people down there that we get to serve.
Two teams will be headed to Fiji to serve one for Tooma’s Medical Clinic and the other for the Kinde Project focusing on education. Johnstone explained that in Fiji kindergarten teachers are not paid which leads to many volunteer teachers that lack formal training. The Project Serve educational team members will be aiding 40 to 60 Fijian locals to learn fundamental teaching skills that will then enhance the educational experience of children all over the island.
“This project will be very cool because teaching is their ministry and we’ll be pouring into their ministry Johnstone said.
Junior Corey Howard will also be a Kinde Project participant next week in Fiji, and is proud of the enduring quality of the trip.
What is so cool about our educational trip to Fiji is that it will be so long-lasting Howard said. Because we are helping teachers learn how to teach instead of just students the effects of our trip will be positively felt by the locals for a really long time.”
With the same built-up enthusiasm junior Abbie Case is looking forward to serving the refugees in Costa Rica helping to rebuild animal habitats in the rainforest and becoming familiar with an entirely new country.
“I’ve never been to Central America so getting a feel of that country along with bonding with my teammates is what I’m most looking forward to Case said.
But before departing this weekend, Project Serve team members engaged in multiple levels of preparation to gear up for the week-long trip. The process began back in September with the site release and a series of application steps. After interviews and team selections were completed, different classes and meetings were held regularly to prep the students for the spring break trips.
We prepare the students in all aspects with cultural immersion and medical information Johnstone said, with some students taking malaria shots or pills to prevent any illness while abroad. There were also workshops for cultural sensitivity for the international teams and the domestic teams attended workshops about poverty in America.”
By far the largest portion of the preparation was dedicated to fundraising. While Project Serve is given small grants from Pepperdine to fund the trips the students themselves raise the vast majority of the money on an individual basis.
The monetary efforts began last fall with the popular “Project Serve Airport Shuttles” during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Teams also chose unique outings like Christmas caroling to bring in donations for their trip funds.
Staying in the states the other seven Project Serve teams will embark this weekend to New Jersey Arizona New York City Seattle Chicago Texas and Las Vegas for similarly distinctive missions. Across the country Pepperdine students will be serving orphanages food banks at-risk youth the homeless and many other groups in need.
Sirena Laguana first-year Seaver student and Project Serve Seattle team member is anticipating the positive change in her own character through the time spent in service.
“I’m really excited to experience a lot of growth next week Laguana said. I’ll be out of my comfort zone in Seattle at the homeless ministries so it will be a great way to reach out. I don’t think there’s anything more productive I could do during the break.”