Paige Dalto ’24, staff writer
LVC’s community service trip is headed to Navajo Nation, a Native American reservation, in Arizona in January.
Navajo Nation occupies land in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, and students and faculty attending the trip will travel to Tuba City, Arizona. There, participants will learn about Navajo life and culture, work on community-led service projects and explore the surrounding area, including the Grand Canyon.
For this service opportunity, interested students responded to four short-answer writing prompts and provided two references. Students’ applications were then considered by traits such as passion for service to others, interest in cultural experiences as well as academic status and social conduct. 13 students were selected for the trip and were notified via email on Sept. 30.
LVC partnered with Amizade, a non-profit, global-service learning organization, for the trip. One of Amizade’s core principles is providing community-driven service, meaning that the community defines its needs, and participants contribute to those needs.
“This trip has a lot of building, repair and clean-up types of projects with a more physical aspect to them,” stated Jennifer Liedtka, LVC’s coordinator of service and volunteerism. “We will also serve with groups like Angel House, a small grassroots organization that collects donations of household items, clothing and toys that are distributed to community members in need, as well as other community groups.”
The service trip will fulfill one immersive experience requirement for all students attending as well as the Gold Service Award service trip requirement.
This opportunity will allow students to immerse themselves in another culture while simultaneously supporting its members.
“Service trips provide students with a phenomenal opportunity to broaden their understanding of themselves and their world,” Liedtka said. “Beyond the hands-in service, this trip provides many cultural experiences such as visiting a Navajo museum, exposure to the Navajo language, visiting with community members and more.”
The Navajo Nation trip will depart LVC on Jan. 7 and return on Jan. 13, giving participants almost a full week to experience Navajo culture.