In Michigan Daily news:the article, "Students spend their summers studying, interning and volunteering around the world" by Claire Hall, talks about NASST trips and other student activities in this summer. The following is the section about the NASST trips, and several NASST members shared their experiences in their trips and what they learned about social justice:
Social justice learning in the U.S.
The North American Summer Service Team proves that students don’t have to leave the country to have a meaningful summer traveling experience.
NASST, which operates under the umbrella of the Ginsberg Center, sends students to U.S. locations throughout the summer to volunteer with local organizations and explore social justice issues such as sustainability and community health, according to Lilliane Webb, business junior and NASST’s public relations and outreach co-coordinator.
LSA junior Holly Godden spent the first week in May in New York City with NASST working with God’s Love We Deliver, an organization that delivers meals to individuals struggling with illnesses like HIV and AIDS.
“I really liked going into a community and seeing how people’s lives are different than mine and also how they’re similar,†Godden said.
Recent LSA graduate Anne West’s NASST team traveled to Waco, Texas from May 3 to May 15 and studied agricultural sustainability with the organization World Hunger Relief. West said the experience has reinforced notions she learned in her courses at the University.
“I can understand better what I’ve learned in the classroom by taking it out and applying it to this kind of work, and then it resonates more with me,†West said.
Engineering sophomore Erica Mertz said her experience with World Hunger Relief taught her about more than just the organization’s mission. Near the end of their trip, they had to prepare their own dinner with limited tools, which involved catching and preparing a chicken for consumption. Mertz called it an “eye-opening†experience.
“When you buy packaged chicken in the store, you don’t really think about … where that chicken was raised or how it lived or how it died,†Mertz said.
If you are interested, the entire article is available on Michigan Daily's website: Students spend their summers studying, interning and volunteering around the world.
