Participating students will spend 11 days in Ecuador this May through the Shoulder-to-Shoulder Program. They will take part in service-learning projects in the Andes Mountains, specifically the regions of Guaranda and Machachi. The service trip will be led by Professors Jose Guzman and Dina Tanvuia. The team will also work with Xavier Chiriboga, who is the local partner for this program, and the group will be staying on his family farm in the mountains.
“This program reinforced my student’s passion for service and my commitment to making a positive impact in communities beyond our community,” Guzman said.
Previous students said the trip developed problem-solving, collaboration and cultural awareness skills as they became a part of the local community and working with them to create lasting change.
“The experience challenged students to problem solve in real-time, whether it was troubleshooting water system repairs or finding creative ways to engage students in English lessons,” Guzman said about past projects. Students will teach for the day in a local classroom and teach English in creative ways, such as using objects around the classroom to demonstrate different things.
This is the first since COVID-19 that the program has run. These students take a course throughout the spring semester, learning about the culture and taking Spanish lessons to prepare for the service trip in the course SLV218. They will also complete community service in this area to better understand the difference between community service in Ecuador and in the Newton area. Students plan to work with the Community Day Center of Waltham, participating in their annual 5K Run/Walk on April 26 and fundraising for the event on March 29.
“I'm so excited to go on this trip because it gives me a chance to not only see a different part of the world but also give back while doing so. I love traveling, and I'm very excited to travel well and also have a goal to achieve,” Junior applied mathematics major Jacob Lustig said about their decision to join this trip.
Though the trip is mostly focused on community involvement and different service opportunities, there will be at least one day of seeing Ecuador’s beauty by hiking places like El Chimborazo, the country’s highest mountain, which also happens to be a volcano above the earth’s center. Students will also spend a day in Quito sightseeing and shopping for souvenirs. There may even be an opportunity for ziplining across the Andes Mountains and seeing El Pailón del Diablo, which translates to the Devil’s Cauldron.
“When I first heard about the Ecuador trip, I was ecstatic. I have always loved volunteering and
helping people in any way I could. I am most looking forward to working with the kids and hopefully making real connections and helping in any way I can,” said first-year Ellie Snape, who will participate in the trip.
Junior entertainment media major Jenna Sargent said that she decided to participate “To experience a different culture and help in any way that we can.” She looks forward to working with the community to help solve problems and build bonds with the children.
Lasell’s Shoulder-to-Shoulder Program has a new Instagram, @lasell.ecuador, and a Facebook account that contains photos of past trips called Ecuador: Shoulder to Shoulder Program.
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