Service Learning Travel
Leadership Southwestern recognizes the value of travel, particularly travel that includes service. Each year the team sets off in a new direction for its annual service learning trip. The trip is designed to give students opportunities to serve outside of the Winfield community. Students expand their worldviews by learning from others and discerning what it means to be a leader in today's global society. Students fundraise throughout the year to pay for their trip, and students also plan and run the entire trip! The location of the trip rotates every year amongst the following destinations: International, Kansas, Urban, and Outdoors.
May 2021
This May, the leadership team will be traveling to New Orleans, LA for the urban service-learning trip! The goals of this trip are to engage in meaningful service work and learn all about the culture or NOLA. If you would like to make a donation towards the trip, email the director of SC Leadership, Brae Wood at brae.wood@sckans.edu or leaders@sckans.edu.
November 2019
Kansas City, KS
In November, over fall break, 14 ships traveled to Kansas City for their Kansas service-learning trip. While in K.C., the team collaborated with Cross-Lines, a local non-profit thrift store to help organize all the donated items. They also worked to clean-up a nearby walking trail by picking up trash. They finished the trip with a full team dinner at Buca di Beppo, yum!
May 2019
Travel to Iceland
13 ships traveled to Iceland in May 2019 to engage in meaningful service work. The team traveled around the ring road, which took them around the entire island. While in Iceland, the team partnered with “Meet Us Don’t Eat Us” an organization that helps spread knowledge about the whaling industry in Iceland, Daladýrð Petting Zoo where the ships helped build a goat play-ground, and finally Seyðisfjarðarkirkja, the infamous “Blue Church” of Iceland to do some beautification around the church and cemetery. During the trip, the ships had fun going whale watching, touring the city of Reykjavík, trying fermented shark, taking in all the beautiful scenery, and watching Curtis propose to Tessa, congratulations ships!
Spring 2018
Houston, TX
17 Leadership team members traveled to Houston, TX in March of 2018. The team partnered with the Saint Bernard Project to demolish the interiors of two houses that were covered in mold due to the flooding. In total, the team donated 209 hours of service, an estimated $4,924.56 donated by the Leadership team to the hurricane relief effort.
Spring 2017
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
19 total ships traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May of 2017. The team worked with Salvation Army to help sort toys for Christmas time. Along with Salvation Army, the ships also partnered with Share Foods where 1,401 boxes of food were packaged, and helped clean and restore Nicetown-Logan with FrontStep.
The team was also able to soak up some history while in Philadelphia with activities including a tour of the Art Museum, mile mural tour around the city, the Ben Franklin Musuem, a walk around the Lantern Festival, and even a visit to the burial grounds.
Fall 2015
Kansas City, KS
Leadership Southwestern road tripped up to Kansas City, KS this past December 2015. A total of 22 ships and 3 faculty members performed a service for Resurrection Ministry (My Father's House) through preparing and distributing donated furnishings and home essentials for those in need in the Kansas City area. The ships were also able to volunteer alongside the community of Johnson County Development Supports in several aspects of their daily work lives.
Once the work was all done, the ships tried to break out at Breakout KC, ate some delicious barbeque at Arthur Bryant's, and walked and shopped around Crown Center. The trip was completed through connecting with several Leadership alums in the area. SC junior Dillon Good served as the trip planner and coordinator.
Summer 2015
Ireland
The team was blessed to work with the Dublin Rotary Club and serve Dublin’s community by renovating the Greenore/Rostrevor Community Centre for the elderly. The team repainted the interior walls and trim, cleaned and weeded the exterior, and repainted the doors and railing.
In Dublin the team toured the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College (and viewed the Book of Kells), and went on a Walking Ghost/History Tour. They also saw a play at the National Theatre, experienced the famous pubs of Dublin, and took several tours of the city. After staying in the Youth Hostel in Dublin for six nights, the team travelled to Western Ireland and stayed in the Abbeyglen Castle hotel in Clifden in County Connemara for two nights. On the way back to Dublin the team stopped and took a land and sea tour of the world-famous Cliffs of Moher. SC Junior Ryan Crowell served as the trip planner and coordinator.
Summer 2014
Virginia Beach, VA
While on the trip, the team toured and worked for the nationally-recognized nonprofit Equi-Kids Therapeutic Riding Program. Students helped to prepare running and riding trails for a 5K fundraiser, and they also did maintenance work on the grounds. Additionally, the team spent two days building fire pits in Virginia’s First Landing State Park.
The team also visited Colonial Williamsburg, in addition to area beaches and cypress swamps. In keeping with the outdoor theme of the trip, the students bunked at the local KOA campground. SC junior Tavinia Tucker served as the trip planner and coordinator.
Summer 2013
Seattle, Washington Expedition
In Seattle the team participated in a wide variety of service. From working in a community garden, to serving at homeless shelters, to pulling noxious weeds in a local park, they were always busy! There was also some fun, visiting Bainbridge island and eating delicious seafood on the harbor! Check out pictures from this trip and some of our other recent adventures in our Service Learning Trips photo gallery.
