Volunteer Programs & Service Learning: Service Immersion in Oaxaca, Mexico
Simply Smiles is a not-for-profit organization that provides bright futures for impoverished children, their families, and their communities.
While volunteering, you will help care for the children around the clock; you might help with their homework, help prepare their meals, or even help brush their teeth before bedtime.
Ultimately, by giving your time, attention, and love, your week volunteering at the Simply Smiles Home for Children will help these kids to overcome incredibly difficult starts in life to reach the bright futures they deserve.
While this trip is located in Oaxaca, Mexico, another trip is offered in May in the prairies of an Indian reservation in South Dakota with the Simply Smiles organization.
Dates & Deadlines
| Term | Year | Application Deadline | Decision Date | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Program Description
Oaxaca is located in the southernmost region of Mexico and is a state roughly the size of New England.
During your time in Oaxaca, you will live and work at the Simply Smiles Home for Children in San Bartolo Coyotepec, a suburb of Oaxaca City. You will get a chance to experience the historic and densely-populated Oaxaca Valley with its breathtaking mountain views.
Oaxaca is rich with beauty and culture. But tragically, Oaxaca is also stricken with an extreme poverty that serves as an ever present dichotomy and a clear reminder as to why we are there.
Total cost per student is $1,500. This includes airfare, housing, transportation to/from SHU, all transportation in Oaxaca, and the majority of meals. The only meals that are not covered by SHU are those meals in the airport traveling to/from Oaxaca.
Payment Due Dates:
- 1st payment $750 (Not Refundable): November 16, 2018
- 2nd payment $750: February 1, 2019
All checks should be made payable to “Sacred Heart University.”
There will be no deadline extensions for these payments. All students are responsible for their own program fees. Fundraising is encouraged, both on an individual and group basis. However, each student is responsible for handing in their own individual payments on the dates above. Late payments will jeopardize a student’s participation in the program.
Assistant Director of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning
Academic Center HC 109 B
203-365-4833
wendela3@sacredheart.edu
Spring Break 2020
- Departure: February 29, 2020
- Return: March 7, 2020