Service-Learning: Reframing Mindsets, Developing Students

I developed the title for this blog well in advance of the service trip I lead to New York City in conjunction with the Assistant Dean for Fraternity & Sorority Life & Leadership at UTC.  I had no idea that when I typed “reframing mindsets”, that I would be referring to my own. Prior to my moving to the South, I had spent a year living just outside New York City and was seriously worried about how our students would adjust to their time in Brooklyn, especially considering that many of our students are from rural or small suburban communities and have not travelled much outside of the state (well, this coupled with the comment that a student made at the orientation meeting, “Glad my mom bought me that taser!”).

When the time came for the trip, several students wanted to ride in my van because they wanted to be with an “official New York driver”; and I made sure to reiterate that NYC was much different than the South and talked about street smarts- pick-pocketing, street harassment, encouraged “blending in” and told them to keep a low-profile.  Looking back it’s amazing some of them weren’t frightened about getting in the van in the first place. 

Remember that 90’s song, “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen”, and that unforgettable line, “Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard”… had living in NYC made me hard?  Was I feeding into the fear of the Big Apple, a city I had navigated crime-free for a year and grown only to love?  Was I feeling the maternal instinct to protect this group of students, and if so, from what? What was I so worried about? Students expressing ethnocentrism? Resistance to the blended but distinctly unique culture that New York City is?

I quickly realized that these students were coming at this experience with a completely different mindset than I had anticipated.  They were open-minded and ready to engage with the people, landmarks, food and other characteristics that make New York City unique.

Once the big white vans were unloaded, we settled in our hostel and walked over to Times Square. With the help of Yelp, we found a high-ranking pizza place and wove through the cold evening to indulge students in their first slice.  Groups huddled around plates and passed the coveted slices around, nibbling on any exposed slice that was being shared.  We all went to bed happy and woke up the next day ready to bring our energy and strength to God’s Love We Deliver, our service site.

We were one of three student groups serving at God’s Love We Deliver (GLWD) that week.  The dynamic was interesting- some student groups talked about their sleeping bag accommodations at a nearby church, while our students talked about their hostel blocks from Times Square.  I felt guilty- are we serving our students to the best of our ability when we offer them a service trip that doubled as a sightseeing trip?  Was I feeding into the privileged culture by using Yelp to navigate my students to high-ranking ethnic restaurants?

This is a question that would not go unanswered.  We hosted nightly reflections in small groups where we unpacked privilege and where we discussed the emotions our students felt throughout the course of the day.  What stuck with me most was the vulnerability our students expressed.  One student shared his fear of coming into the space because he was worried he would be judged for his tics.  Another student disclosed the guilt she felt and expressed that while her organization does a lot to fundraise for organizations in the Chattanooga community, she aspired to activate her sisters to do more than just cut a check in order to connect directly with the individuals they fund through their philanthropy.  They were making the connection, civic engagement is a never-ending obligation, and they were feeling the weight of responsibility.

As our time at GLWD went on, we saw our students continue to become more invested in the organization and the work we were doing there- meal preparations, packing, delivery, etc.  GLWD aims to improve the health and well-being of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition.  With the help of volunteers they bring meals to individuals daily to help those who are unable to leave their homes or are too sick to prepare the meals for themselves. On the first day they were complaining about sore feet, by the last few days they were standing over buckets and buckets of diced onions, fighting through tears to help GLWD stay on target with their daily goal.  Our students wanted to know more about the GLWD staff and community—they asked how long they’d lived in the community, they asked about their families, they asked about what drew them to working for this cause. The staff was gracious and open to our students’ inquiries, which often times involved sharing a personal story about a loved one who was affected by HIV/AIDS and benefitted from GLWD.  The questions weren’t one-sided.  Many were New York natives and were very eager to ask our students about their upbringing in the South. 

Sure, it was not perfect all the time.  As is the case on any large group trip, there were student conflicts that needed to be addressed and there were conversations about privilege that needed to happen on a deeper level one-on-one with some individuals.  However, overall I was impressed by how engaged our students were on our trip.  I was pleased by how they communicated with each other (many did not know each other before this trip) and how they engaged in genuine conversations with the staff of GLWD.

What I learned was that I needed to reframe my mindset and approach service trips with more of an open-mind, just like our students.  Trust that you are laying a solid foundation for them at your institutions and allow them the room and flexibility to prove that to you.  If they do not demonstrate this, take it as an opportunity to educate.

UTC Student Participants of the 2013 Service Trip to God’s Love We Deliver, Brooklyn, NY

Cassie Nice
Assistant Director, Women's Center
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga