Before the trip
Important Dates
- June 30th: Applications are due
- Late July: Participants are told which trip they will go on
- Early August: Site leaders will contact participants with the details and logistics of the trips
- September 4th (Sunday): Trips depart from campus
- September 10th (Saturday): Trips return to campus in the evening
- September 12th (Monday): ASB programming ends at 9am and Move-In Day begins
Transportation to campus
ASB does not provide transportation from the airport to campus. Your site leader will be happy to give you information on how to take the train or a taxi to campus.
Packing List
Each trip requires different attire and supplies. Participants will receive a detailed packing list from their site leaders in early August after they are assigned to a trip.
During the trip
The goal of ASB is to better prepare students to become responsible leaders of the community by exposing them to the problems that afflict our world. Our Pre-WW trips have the added objective of introducing students to life at NU and providing incoming freshmen with the knowledge, confidence and contacts to make the most of their freshmen year. To these ends, our program combines direct service, reflection time, educational opportunities, group bonding activities and free time to create a fun and meaningful experience for all participants.
Click here for a sample schedule of the typical ASB trip. Please keep in mind that this schedule is meant only to provide you with a general idea of the structure of the trip. Each site will have a unique schedule, which will be flexible to meet the needs of the participants. Also notice that you'll miss none of pre-Wildcat Welcome Week. In fact, you'll be among the first to move in!
2011 Trip dates: September 4th-12th
2011 Sites
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Habitat for Humanity
Pittsburgh, PA
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh's mission is the elimination of substandard housing in
Allegheny County and throughout the world. They work in partnership with volunteers and low-income
families in need to build homes, which are then purchased by these families through no-profit, no-interest
mortgages. On this trip, participants will assist in the completion process for one of the homes. Volunteer
work will consist of painting, insulation, cabinetry, landscaping, and other home repair tasks.
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Support a children's sanctuary: Pace School
Pittsburgh, PA
The Pace School is a private, nonprofit day school located outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania serving
hard-to-teach, hard-to-reach children and adolescents in grades K-9. It provides educational and
therapeutic services for students with learning disabilities and has most recently begun to focus its
attention on students with emotional and behavioral disorders. On this ASB trip, participants will work
one-on-one with students inside and outside the classroom, and have the opportunity to work directly with
teachers as aides. Participants will help with everything from tutoring students in math and science to
leading activities like kickball and gymnastics inside the school's gymnasium.
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Community GroundWorks
Madison, WI
Community GroundWorks is a nonprofit organization in Madison, WI that focuses on community
education through gardening, urban farming, healthy eating and natural areas restoration. Overall, the
organization manages 26 acres for the food production and restoration. Participants will work on a
variety of projects ranging from trail maintenance, tree pruning and organic gardening to bean shelling,
invasive species removal and nutrition education. Additionally, the group will help prepare Community
GroundWork’s 10-year anniversary celebration.
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Community Action Coalition
Madison, WI
The Community Action Coalition is a nonprofit organization which is active in eliminating the
struggles associated with poverty in Madison and the surrounding area. They organization engages in
a wide variety of programs including food security, community gardens, affordable housing, family
development, and clothing centers. Participants can expect to have exposure to a large sampling of
ongoing projects at the Community Action Coalition—community gardening, food collection and
distribution, service in the clothing center—as well as opportunities to work and interact with low-income
families.
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Lutheran Social Services of Michigan: Refugee Services
Detroit, MI
Lutheran Social Services of Michigan is Michigan’s largest private refugee resettlement organization.
They provide sponsorship, immigration assistance, legal services, and assistance with resettlement and
acculturation to refugees. Refugees’ first experiences in the United States can often be challenging and
confusing. Participants can expect to meet refugees and learn about their experiences. Daily service work
will involve hands-on tasks—like helping furnish a house or apartment for a refugee family—that assist in
refugees’ transition.
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Food Bank and Distribution
Detroit, MI
This large community food bank seeks to “nourish hungry families by feeding hungry people.” Last
year, the organization distributed more than 36 million pounds of emergency food to over 484 partner
soup kitchens, shelters and pantries. Participants on this trip can expect to learn about the local food and
nutrition needs of the community through assisting in food donation collection, sorting, and distribution.
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Operation Breakthrough
Kansas City, MO
Operation Breakthrough is the nation’s largest low-income daycare facility. They help children who
are living in poverty develop to their fullest potential by providing them a safe, loving, and educational
environment. Operation Breakthrough also strives to support and empower the children’s families through
advocacy, referral services and emergency aid. Each day of this trip, participants will have the chance
to work in the preschool classrooms of children ages 6 weeks through 5 years of age on developmental
activities. Portions of the day will also be dedicated to completing various tasks in the community, such
as picking up and sorting donations.
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Urban Agriculture and Habitat for Humanity
Kansas City, MO
This organization promotes production and consumption of locally grown food in Kansas City, Missouri.
Unused spaces in the city are transformed into farmable areas that not only promote beautiful and healthy
neighborhoods, but also offer a source of healthy food products. Using sustainable, community engaged
farms, the organization also provides opportunities for those in need to earn a stable income. On this trip,
participants can expect to assist in the maintenance of the community farms and to participate in home
renovation projects with Habitat for Humanity.
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La Casa
Goshen, IN
La Casa is community-based nonprofit organization that strives to provide affordable housing and
create safe, attractive, and stable neighborhoods. Originally, La Casa was founded to improve the living
conditions of Goshen’s migrant farm workers, but since has grown significantly to encompass broad
neighborhood revitalization. Resources for the residents include financial counseling, loan assistance, and
immigration and language services. Participants will be joining La Casa staff and volunteers working on
such tasks as painting, roofing, and carpentry, and other home repair projects.
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Center for the Homeless
South Bend, IN
The Center for the Homeless is an organization that strives to offer more services to the homeless of
South Bend besides shelter. The staff and volunteers of the Center for the Homeless work to develop self-
sufficiency in struggling members of the community. Programs for the homeless include job training and
placement, transitional housing, and personal development. Participants on this trip will first have the
opportunity to meet guests of the Center for the Homeless and hear about their experiences. Daily service
work will include preparing and serving meals, helping kids with homework in an after-school program,
help care for toddlers in the early-care center, and assist in maintenance projects.
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