Southwest Service

Overview

Through Southwest Service we’ll serve the communities of Santa Fe, discovering the growth and fulfillment that come from helping others as we work side by side with the people of the Southwest.

We’ll meet in Albuquerque and van to Santa Fe, where we’ll dedicate our time and energy to helping local service organizations and reaching out to the Native American and Hispanic communities. Our projects will include volunteering at The Food Depot, the largest food bank in northern New Mexico, serving the elderly, homeless and hungry; restoring hiking trails with local outdoor organizations; and mentoring at-risk youth at an elementary school. All of these projects require enthusiasm, focus and flexibility, as well as a strong work ethic and a willingness to be challenged physically.

During the late afternoons and on the weekend, our group will explore downtown Santa Fe and the surrounding area. We’ll enjoy hikes to the prehistoric ruins at Bandelier National Monument, the incredible geological formations at Tent Rocks and more. At program’s end, we’ll celebrate and reflect upon our two weeks of rewarding service in America’s Southwest.

“Kela had the time of her life, and she felt that she really made a difference.” Dee Butts, Wayland, Massachusetts

Highlights

• Teach reading skills
• Volunteer at a food bank & rebuild Santa Fe’s hiking trails
• Hike at Tent Rocks & Bandelier National Monuments
• Explore Santa Fe

Grade

For students who will finish grades 8-12 in June 2010.

Call us (800.458.0588) to check on current availability.

Challenge Level

3 (1-10, 1 is easiest)

Start and End Location

Starts and ends in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dates and Fees

2 Weeks

Sunday, June 27 to Friday, July 9
Sunday, July 11 to Friday, July 23
Sunday, July 25 to Friday, August 6

$3195 (airfare not included)

“It was great. Everyone in my group got along well, and I enjoyed mentoring the students at the elementary school. My least favorite part was going home.” Marc Greenspon, Winnetka, Illinois

Itinerary

Program Start

We’ll meet in Albuquerque and van an hour north to Santa Fe to settle into our comfortable accommodations at the Institute of American Indian Art. After we’ve settled into our rooms (doubles shared by Overland students of the same gender), we’ll reconvene as a group and spend the rest of the day getting to know one another.

Our Service Work in Santa Fe

The following morning we’ll dive right into our first day of service work in Santa Fe.  Over the course of our two weeks together, we’ll work with a variety of local service organizations. Here are brief descriptions of a few of the organizations with whom we’ll hope to work this summer:

The Food Depot

The Food Depot is the largest food bank in Northern New Mexico, distributing an average of 200,000 pounds of food each month! Donated food is dropped off at the warehouse where it is inspected and organized for distribution—all with help from volunteers. We'll contribute our time and energy to this effort, sorting vegetables, bagging bread and making friends along the way.

Reading & Recreation Program Summer Camp

We will partner with local elementary schools to provide reading mentorship to first, second and third graders. Students will work with a lead teacher to provide a combination of mentorship and reading assistance that will inspire young readers. We encourage people to bring a few favorite children's books to share with their reading buddies over the course of the program.

Santa Fe Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Fe (BGCSF) has served and continues to serve some of the neediest families in Santa Fe.  By strategically placing its Clubs in public housing developments and other neighborhoods where disadvantaged children live, BGCSF is the only nonprofit youth organization that conducts its out-of-school programs directly in the neighborhoods where the families they serve live. Our groups will work with the Boys & Girls Club to assist with mentoring younger students during their summer programs.

Railyard Stewards Community Gardens

The Railyard Stewards is a grassroots organization working in partnership with the City of Santa Fe in a unique care, conservation and education effort to encourage residents to actively participate in our newest and largest city park and adjacent community plaza.  Our Southwest Service groups will work with the Railyard Stewards program to learn about the history of Santa Fe and tend to the community gardens in the Park where the produce is taken to the Food Depot.

Group Time

When we're not pursuing volunteer opportunities in Santa Fe, we'll explore the surrounding area and have fun as a group. During late afternoons, we’ll explore downtown Santa Fe or just spend some time relaxing in the foothills of Santa Fe at our accommodations on the campus of the Institute for American Indian Arts. Each evening we’ll prepare and enjoy dinner together, and share the highs and lows of the day over dessert. In this way we'll gather each evening to look back over the rewarding day of service to the community and reenergize for the next day of outreach.

On the weekend our group will explore the surrounding Santa Fe area, traveling to nearby Taos, New Mexico, enjoying hikes to prehistoric ruins at Bandelier National Monument, incredible geological formations at Tent Rocks and more. While hikes are not overly vigorous, students should be prepared to explore the outdoor beauty of the surrounding area with their group.

Program End

We'll end our two weeks together with a final dinner out in Santa Fe to celebrate and reflect upon our rewarding service in America's Southwest.

“I had a great time on my trip, and I loved all the work I got to do in Santa Fe.  Everywhere we went we had Overland’s great reputation to uphold, and you could tell people counted on Overland kids every summer.” Ilana Engel, Birmingham, Alabama

Trip Details

Service Hours

30 hours of service

Students: Is this trip right for you?

Southwest Service requires a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard as teen summer service volunteers. Participants should be eager to take part in a variety of summer service projects and be ready for both the challenges and rewards that service work offers.

Keep in mind that your enjoyment of this trip will hinge on certain factors:

1. Your motivation. Service work is not always easy—you must be motivated!
2. Your commitment to teamwork. Overland trips require compromise, patience and selflessness. Support your trip leaders and your trip mates, and you’ll find that you have a great experience!

Please note that some of the service opportunities your group pursues will depend on the needs of the community and available service opportunities. We ask for students’ flexibility in the service projects we pursue in Santa Fe.

“I loved the whole experience. We helped many different causes throughout the program.” Jason Kim, Manhattan Beach, California

Photos

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Before You Go

• Enrollment Forms
• Prepare & Pack
• Travel Information
• Mail Stops
• Helpful Reminders

Apply Now

We welcome your interest in joining Overland this summer!

To apply, please complete and sign the application on page 47 of the Overland catalog or download an application. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the application).

Please refer to page 46 of our catalog for important information you should know before signing the application.

Send your application and $795 deposit to:

Overland
P.O. Box 31
Williamstown, MA 01267

For overnight mail via UPS or FedEx, please use our street address:

Overland
63 Spring Street
Williamstown, MA 01267

Sorry, we are unable to accept applications by fax, and we do not take credit cards. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they arrive at our office and we cannot hold spots over the phone.

To learn about our admissions process, please click here.