Alternative Break Programs

Contributor: Julia Koczot

JMU has an amazing alternative break program that encompasses different student interests in domestic or international locations. Furthermore, JMU is in the top national rankings for our alternative break programs! The programs take place during all breaks, which include the weekends, thanksgiving, winter, spring and summer; so there are plenty of chances throughout the year to partake in one of the trips.

This spring I partook in the alternative spring break program. I traveled with 11 other JMU students and one adult (learning partner) to Chacraseca, Nicaragua. We worked with a nonprofit organization called FriendsNE which focuses on alleviating social issues within various Nicaraguan villages through community engagement, education and international support. Their projects focus on self-sustainability and using the outcomes to continue bettering the community.  For example, they are in the process of building the first community library and are looking into establishing a women’s shelter for abused women in a nearby city.

As a group, we raised funds to help build a house for a local family and we also collected books and clothing donations to bring to the community. We spent several mornings carrying bricks, digging holes and mixing cement to help with the construction of the house.

We also had the opportunity to visit various local schools within the community. We taught the children some English, while we practiced our Spanish and we played games with them. The children were very welcoming and always smiling. The highlight of this experience was to be able to compare how our education and accommodations for learning greatly differed from theirs. They don’t have air conditioning, adequate school supplies and sometimes don’t have a means for getting to school besides walking miles in the heat. Comparing their learning environment to ours made us rethink and appreciate how privileged and lucky we are to have the education we do. 

Many village members knew of JMU because of the impacting work previous and current students have done to help better the lives of many individuals. Hearing them say, “JMU Dukes” brought smiles to our faces because we were proudly representing our school, but also because we were helping create change.

Besides doing community service we also had some time to explore the country of Nicaragua and their culture. We saw how the locals make recycled paper, learned the process of pottery making, and went to the beach and a lagoon. Nicaragua has many volcanoes. So we got to climb up an active volcano and run down the side of it. It was so much fun and is definitely a moment in the trip we will never forget.

The bonding that was established while doing service was unexplainable. As students we came from different backgrounds and represented different aspects of JMU, but while there we grew together and developed long-term friendships.

Many students stepped far out of their comfort zones during this trip, but the whole experience was something we loved and will carry with us forever. The people you meet, the stories you create and the challenges are something that continues to develop globally minded JMU students.

It was not only the best way I could have spent my break, but one of the greatest experiences I have had at JMU. I would highly recommend any JMU student to explore the existing programs and different trips.

[Insights are a series of blogs written by
our globally minded LINKers and occasional guest writers
about their own JMU experiences. Click here to read more insights]