Tucker Foundation | Tucker Points

An Alternative to Spring Break

After the rigors of a grueling winter term capped by an agonizing week of sleep deprivation, students turn in their papers and take their final exams. There is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes with the completion of the academic requirements, not to mention surviving another winter on the frozen tundra of Hanover. Students have certainly earned the right to relax and head south toward a warmer clime for a brief respite before they gear up to do it all over again for the spring term.

This March, many Dartmouth students made the trip south for spring break. Ten of these students headed south to the island of Jamaica on a mission of service. Although the weather could not have been better, these students did not spend their days idle on the beaches. Instead, they used this opportunity to volunteer at sites in an underpriviledged section of Kingston, Jamaica, as part of the first Jamaican Volunteer Immersion Program.

The group flew from Boston to Montego Bay on March 16 and left Jamaica on March 25. While on the island the students lived at St. George's school. Volunteers worked with the elderly, the young and disadvantaged at Mother TeresaÕs Missionaries of Charity, a home for the elderly and homeless; a primary school at Riverton City; and St. Margaret's community center and health clinic. The students also brought a large shipment of medical supplies donated to the health clinic by Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

The Immersion program is a ten day, full-time volunteer experience. It is designed to allow students who may not be able to commit to a full term of service the chance to perform meaningful work during term breaks. The idea was brought to Dartmouth by biology major Arthur Desrosiers '99, who successfully presented his concept for the program to Dean Scott Brown at Tucker. Desrosiers demonstrated the value of the program, and Brown committed Tucker's advisory and administrative support. It was the responsibility of the participants to raise or provide the remaining costs for the program. Desrosiers also secured a grant from the Bildner Endowment to offset their on island transportation expenses.

Desrosiers was joined by fellow biology major Amanda Borges '99, who helped coordinate the details of the program last summer, while Desrosiers did off-campus research in the Peruvian Amazon. This fall and winter, Desrosiers and Borges worked to recruit student participants and to secure corporate and alumni sponsorship of the program. They were able to reduce the cost to the individual students to $800 each. During winter term the group held weekly meetings to bond and to discuss the personal reasons and meaning of their service, Jamaican culture, Third World travel and fundraising strategies. These meetings included presentations by Dartmouth faculty, a Jamaican Culture Night at Collis Center and a slide show on Jamaica.

Advising on the island was provided by Peter Stewart of the Jesuits of Jamaica. Peter worked with the group and facilitated reflective discussion in the evenings. Additional nightly discussions were led by individual members of the group. The group will meet at Tucker to reflect upon the experience upon their return to Hanover. Participants will also be willing to discuss this experience with other groups on campus.

The students were attracted to this program for a variety of reasons: most notably the desire to make a difference, to work at a health clinic and to educate patients about Polio and HIV, to teach, and to participate in a new and exciting international program. The students came to the program from different backgrounds, class years ('98, '99 and '00) and areas of study, including Biology, Anthropology, Linguistics, and History. The students' impact on the individuals and agencies was substantial and greatly respected and appreciated. The impact of this experience on the students will last throughout their lifetime.