Alumni Travel
Alumni Service Travel
Program Description
For many Bowdoin alumni, McKeen’s vision of an education for the common good stands at the heart of their reflection upon the Bowdon experience. This call manifests itself in the multitude of ways in which Bowdoin alumni work to contribute to the communities in which they settle upon graduation. From traditional service careers in law, medicine or education to leadership in non-profit organizations to active participation in volunteerism and philanthropy, countless Bowdon alumni have lived and worked to ‘serve the common good’ over the past 200 years.
The Alumni Service Travel program provides alumni the opportunity to join efforts in reconnecting with the values of the common good by engaging in an intensive public service experience. Currently, the Office of Alumni Relations is offering two trips per year.
Program Objectives
- Provide alumni with opportunities to engage in service to communities as a tangible expression of serving the common good;
- Develop a sense of community and connection among different generations of alumni;
- Capitalize on the unique talents and skills of alumni that can be applied to a community problem to ‘make a difference’;
- Foster among participants a renewed commitment to service within one’s own community.
Current Trip
Spring 2010: Safe Passage, Guatemala City
March 19 – 28, 2010
Next spring, Bowdoin alumni and friends will return to Guatemala for a week of service at Safe Passage. Building on the incredible success of our March 2009 Guatemala Service Trip, we are excited to continue this initiative, which brings alumni of various generations together to share their passion and talents with communities in need. Join us in helping to break the cycle of poverty with Safe Passage, an organization that creates opportunities for Guatemala City's poorest children through the power of education. Assist Guatemalan teachers, meet the families that make their living off the Guatemala City dump, and learn about the legacy of Hanley Denning, Bowdoin class of 1992, who created Safe Passage to provide a quality education to the children of Guatemala City.
Click here for registration information and to learn more about next spring’s alumni service trip to Guatemala.
Past Trips
Spring 2009: Safe Passage, Guatemala City
March 22 – 29, 2009
In March 2009, a team of eight alumni and two staff members traveled to Guatemala to volunteer for one week with Safe Passage, the non-profit organization founded by the late Hanley Denning ‘92 that serves the children of the Guatemala City garbage dump.
The alumni service trip to Guatemala featured a combination of service, educational and recreational activities. During our week at Safe Passage, the Bowdoin team assisted with a variety of activities and projects including English language instruction, translation, art projects, lacrosse coaching, and general classroom supervision. In addition to service work at Safe Passage, the trip featured educational presentations on Guatemalan history and the garbage dump, a volcano hike, market visits, salsa lessons and a historic tour of Antigua.
Click here to learn more about the Guatemala service trip and view photos.
Fall 2008: Habitat for Humanity, New Orleans
September 21 - 28, 2008
In September 2008, a team of eight Bowdoin alumni traveled to New Orleans to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity to construct new homes, marking the inaugural trip of the Alumni Service Travel Program. This trip offered Bowdoin alumni the chance to see first hand the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and the tremendous need still existing in the Gulf region.
Click here to learn more about the New Orleans service trip and view photos.