Welcome to the Community Service Miniterm website and blog!
In December of 2005 and 2006, Union College students spent part of their December break in New Orleans, Louisiana, helping to rebuild parts of the city that were so severely damaged in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The energy of those two trips led to institutionalizing this ‘alternative break’ as an academic course that  combines an intensive community service experience with academic study of New Orleans and the hurricane disaster and reflection on these experiences and events.

Who is eligible?

• All Union undergraduates
• Must be on campus for both fall and winter terms
• Applicants must fill out an application, must provide references, and will be interviewed prior to selection
• Class size: 15-20
• No course prerequisites, but, as with other miniterms and terms abroad, you must have  a minimum 2.5 GPA

Where will we go & what will we do?

• In December 2008, we will again travel to New Orleans and to the Louisiana wetlands. Hurricanes Gustav & Ike in August/Sept ’08 spared New Orleans from major damage. In contrast, Gustav’s winds wreaked havoc on homes in the wetlands, and flooding from Ike a few weeks later was worse there than it had been with Hurricane Rita in ’05. Many families in the region are having to ‘start all over again’ with recovery.  There is much for us to do!
• We will do 2 weeks of hurricane recovery work, most likely home building and repair, plus some ‘gutting’ in the wetlands .
• Additional activities  – meetings with environmental experts, local service & recovery workers & study of local culture.
• There will be some time for fun!

Important Dates

• The class meets for 4 or 5 2-hour seminar sessions during the second half of fall term
• During December, we meet for 3 weeks: 2 weeks in Louisiana preceded and followed by several days of preparation & debriefing on Union’s campus.
• In January, students complete and present individual projects  at a campus symposium.