For many students, Spring Break is a time to unwind. It’s a chance to relax, and enjoy a week away from school, teachers, and structure. But for several of the students here, it was a chance to roll up their sleeves, dive into a different country, culture, and language, and “seize the day!” as high school junior Alisha put it.
After spending months learning about global poverty, the disparity of resources, and environmental issues from textbooks, we decided it was time to step outside the classroom and learn by doing. So, this past April, students and teachers from the Developing Virtue Secondary School embarked on a service trip to Mexico over spring break. With the help of Corazon, a friendly and passionate nonprofit that really embodies its name (“heart” in Spanish), we had the chance to complete two drywall construction projects, run a Spring Break Camp for the local children, and engage in a cultural exchange.
But beyond all that, it was a chance to break out of our boundaries. To step out of our schedules, routines, and selves, to see life in a different context. Open our eyes to a new perspective. Roosters greeted us in the mornings. Stars dazzled over our dreams at night. Children aged 3 to 17 laughed with us in Spanish-English-Chinese. Amidst the mountains and rural countryside near Tecarte, Mexico, our hearts changed.
See our experience: