Across the Gulf of Mexico, more than 3,000 miles away from campus, a group of 12 Illinois State University students spent a portion of winter break picking pineapples and building stoves and showers in a rural Costa Rican community as a part of a service trip through the Alternative Winter Break (AWB) program.
Organized by Illinois State’s Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), AWB offers an international trip and a domestic trip for students each year. Participants focus on strengthening the communities they serve by addressing social issues including education, affordable housing, environmental issues, and more. The CCE also coordinates Alternative Spring Breaks, Alternative Summer Breaks, and Alternative Weekends.
Senior international business major Luke Seymour and junior biology major Emily Drew were among the group that traveled to Costa Rica this winter. Angela Bailey, an instructional assistant professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, was a first-time faculty trip advisor along with her colleague Rocío Morales.
“The entire trip was very student-led and organized. I loved that. It was so impressive,” Bailey said. “Everyone was a leader in one way or another.”
The AWB team spent the bulk of their time in a small community called Los Lagos, where many of the residents are immigrants from Nicaragua. Here, the volunteers built two stoves and a shower by shoveling dirt and laying brick by hand during the first half of their trip.
According to Drew, many low-income families have to use open-fire stoves, which can lead to burn injuries and cause breathing issues from smoke. She said women and children are disproportionately negatively impacted.
“Members of the community, including children, came out to help,” Drew said. “They helped us with the digging and the shoveling, which were the most difficult parts of the project. However, seeing everyone come together was a record-breaking high. There is no better feeling.”
The Costa Rican service project was primarily aimed at addressing poverty.
“Some of the families have been in Los Lagos for about nine years,” Drew said. “It’s shocking to realize that poverty is a cycle. We obviously couldn’t break the cycle in the 10 days that we were over there. Instead, we tried to identify how we can break it in the long run. Even if it’s a small change, it’s still a positive step forward.”
For the other half of the AWB trip, participants hand-picked about 6,000 fresh pineapples at their host family’s farm. In doing so, they learned about fair trade and the benefits of eating organically grown produce. The fresh fruits and traditional Costa Rican dishes were highlights for all the volunteers.
“The smoothies we had were amazing,” Bailey said. “Everything was completely organic, and the pineapples were nothing like you’ve ever tasted before. I think it was the best part for all of us after a long day of working. We got to sit and relax and enjoy each other’s company.”
Aside from their service projects, the team enjoyed two leisure days filled with activities including ziplining, exploration, and relaxation at a nearby hot spring. At night, the group shared their reflections from the day.
“Every night at the end of service, we’d sit down as a group and go over our highs and lows of the day,” Seymour said. “We talked about what service meant to us. I think these reflections are a vital aspect of any Alternative Breaks trip. It’s important to know how to properly navigate the stressful moments and make sure everyone in the group feels comfortable and safe. We were always together and supporting each other the entire trip.”
Despite long days and grueling heat, the volunteers were eager to help. Many of them said that they would like to attend another AB trip in the future.
“I was so impressed the entire trip. The students gave up 10 days of their winter break and never complained,” Bailey said. “The kindness and the determination of these Redbirds was the best part of the experience for me. I was able to experience so much kindness and empathy. It was inspiring to witness their willingness to make our world a better place.”
