If you have any questions about past trips, contact Eliza Blades.
Spring 2017
Becoming American: Navigating Culture and Identity in Immigrant Enclaves
Location: New York City, NY
The United States prides itself on being a nation of immigrants, but what exactly is the immigrant narrative? How are identities created and expressed in immigrant enclaves? Recognizing that there is diversity in the narratives of immigrants in this country, we hope to begin answering these questions by exploring the culturally diverse neighborhood of Jackson Heights in Queens, New York. In approaching this topic we will analyze how immigrant identities are both formed within communities as well as simultaneously imposed upon them from the outside. We will be focusing on listening to stories and hearing the perspectives of immigrants themselves. Through listening to personal stories, we will expand our focus to examining how these individuals organize support structures within their communities. By attending cultural events, visiting museums, and working with grassroots organizations, we hope to interact with a number of different cultural groups and collaborate with community partners to incorporate learning service into our trip. All the while, participants will be encouraged to reflect upon their own identities and cultural narratives as well as the presence of diversity within the Princeton community. As a whole we would like to trace the narrative journey of immigrants and the complexities of having roots in one place while living in another.
Leaders: Stephen Chao ’19 and Andie Ayala ‘19
Transforming Tulsa: Philanthropy as a Vehicle for Social Change
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
This Spring Break (March 18th-26th0 we are leading a Breakout Trip entitled “Transforming Tulsa: Philanthropy as a Vehicle for Social Change.” The aim of the program is for students to think critically about the role of private money in community development and the provision of social services by meeting with a diverse array of Tulsa community members. Students will be challenged to step out of their comfort zones, connect with people with whom they don’t usually interact, and reflect on what philanthropy means. It should be an exciting, interesting week in which both students, community partners, and ourselves learn a great deal.
Leaders: Sophia Alvarez ’17 and Erin Lynch ’17
Institutional Approaches to Urban Drug Policy
Location: Washington, DC
On this Breakout Trip, we will explore the issues surrounding addiction in Washington, D.C., a city with one of the highest drug abuse rates in the nation, and which is still recovering from the crack epidemic of the 80s and 90s. Yet simultaneously, as the nation’s capital, the city also serves as a hotspot for drug-related policy and political activism at the highest levels. We will attempt to understand the issue from both perspectives, discovering the factors working for and against drug addicts in their own community, and learning about the institutional problems that policymakers are constantly working on fixing. We will also shine a light onto the mechanics of addiction, looking at the interplay between biological and sociological factors, in the hope of gaining a more nuanced understanding of it as a medical problem.
Leaders: Noah Beattie-Moss '19 and Devina Singh '19
Opportunity Gap: Pipelines of Education for Students of Color
Location: Washington D.C.
Trip Description:
The Pace Center for Civic Engagement has teamed up with The Carl. A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding for its Breakout Princeton Campus Collaboration Trip slated for Spring 2017! This trip will focus on educational pipelines for students of color. Currently low-income, minority students in K-12 are disproportionately limited in receiving the same level of quality educational opportunities and resources than their middle to wealthy class white peers. These stark disparities critically cripples and disadvantages communities of color, hinders students’ access to support services and further makes the dream of higher education more and more elusive. We invite you to examine firsthand what educational disparities look like in our surrounding communities and gain a better understanding that access to quality education is undoubtedly a privilege.
Leaders: Sylvie Thode and Rohit Dilip
The following trips only accept Freshman applicants:
Community Development: Urban Art
Location: Philadelphia, PA
This trip centers on understanding the power of art to build community, unite individuals, and offer transformative justice. Through dance, visual art, music, and theater this trip intends to explore the past and current impact of art on social issues facing today’s American society. We are excited to witness art being made, talk with activists that are using art as a tool for social justice, and serve with organizations that are teaching today’s youth the power and refuge of art.
Leaders: Jackson Artis ’20 and Yunzi Shi ’20
Criminal Justice: Incarceration and Reform
Location: Trenton, NJ
This trip will focus on understanding the assumptions of made of incarcerated individuals and what reform efforts are happening at a local and national level. This trip will look at criminal justice through the lenses of policy, activism, and direct service. We will meet with local government officials to learn about current policy as well as reform efforts. We will serve with local non-profits to learn about their work in meeting immediate and long term needs of incarcerated individuals. To learn more about the specific issues raised by local activists, we plan to engage in dialogue and deep discussion. This trip will consist of only first-year leaders and participants.
Leaders: Kadence Mitchell ‘20 and Jianing Zhao ‘20
Fall 2015
Socioeconomic Barriers in Cancer Treatment and Care(link is external)
Contested Resources: Nonferrous Mining in Minnesota's Iron Range
Sex, Sexism and Sexuality: Exploring Feminism in the 21st Century(link is external)
Where do we go from here?: Community Organizing in the Wake of Crisis(link is external)
Breaking News: Journalism as Tool for Social Justice(link is external)