Educate. Engage. Empower. Immersion programs feature the opportunity for students to spend their breaks (spring, summer, fall) serving, immersed in communities (local, national, or global). These experiences allow students to engage with communities, immerse themselves in cultures, test major and career choices, and grow as Citizen Bears. Upon their return from the trip, groups … [Read more...] about Bear Breaks is Back for Fall Break Immersion Trips
Don’t get me wrong, a spring break on the beach with a group of people I know does sound fun but what if I tried something else? That's exactly what I did when I applied to lead my first Bear Break trip this year. Pre-Trip Going in I knew nothing about the program but was excited to dive in and learn all there was to it. Starting out meeting one on one with Alex in … [Read more...] about The Trip of a Lifetime
Written by Lauren Johns Fall Break Immersion The day I received the email about my acceptance to a Bear Breaks venture in Oklahoma City, I was ecstatic. I always admired those people who visited foreign countries and spent months rebuilding and contributing to the healing process, whether the damage be from a natural disaster or merely the poverty line. This was … [Read more...] about Shining a Light in Oklahoma City
Feel the Power of Being Able to Help Others Today, we got up very early and went to one of the food distribution places. We sorted out food into bags and handed them to people in need. Each of their smiles was just like a rose, fire, and light which refreshed me, warmed me and lit me up. Their smile reminded me of a short story I had read before. A family lived a really … [Read more...] about Chicago: Feel the Power
Getting Our Feet Wet Today was a great start in our focus on homelessness and hunger. We spent the day at La Casa Norte, which has many programs of outreach throughout Chicago. I have never been to Chicago before, and this city is so beautiful and unique in its own way. I know a few of us among the group recognized homelessness and hunger as a problem but never actually got … [Read more...] about Chicago Immersion: La Casa Norte