STORM LAKE, IA (04/05/2017)-- Tyler Puls, a senior history education major from Geneseo, and nine other Buena Vista University participants took part in an AWOL (Alternative Week of Off-site Learning) trip during spring break, enabling them to volunteer their time and service with a focus on tackling poverty and serving youth in Eagle Butte, S.D.
The BVU participants volunteered with the Cheyenne River Youth Project, a youth and family services organization that is tailored to meet the needs of indigenous people. The participants spent the week at a youth center and helped with the organization's Passion for Fashion Dress Drive, a program that accepts dress and accessory donations so area youth are able to attend prom. While there, the group helped set up the event's venue, organize donations, serve food and help attendees pick out apparel.
Advisors for the trip were Mark Shea, director of student success at BVU, and Emmanuel Amon, BVU AmeriCorps VISTA.
AWOL has sent more than 729 volunteers and completed an estimated 33,756 hours of service worldwide, furthering its mission to immerse students in different cultures, heighten social awareness and advocate life-long social action through service on a local, regional and international level.
To ensure the AWOL program's long-term impact on the student and the Storm Lake community, students research their service areas, identify a local need, serve to understand it better and address it using new skills learned on their AWOL trips and engaging in local service projects.
Four AWOL trips took place this year, with 40 BVU students, faculty and staff participating. The other trips focused on treating injured animals in Hubert, N.C.; sustainable social and economic development in Los Fierros, Nicaragua; and social, economic, environmental and racial justice issues in New Orleans.
About Buena Vista University
Since 1891, Buena Vista University has prepared students for lifelong success and blends liberal arts with real-world applications. Our traditional campus on the shores of Storm Lake hosts students in a variety of majors and pre-professional programs, including elementary, secondary, and special education; business and accounting; and biological and chemical sciences. Our 16 degree-completion locations, online, and graduate programs expand student potential with a pace and academic rigor designed for working adults and a variety of class formats that make scheduling even more convenient. With an average scholarship of more than 50 percent off of tuition, BVU is an affordable option for all students. Visit www.bvu.edu.
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