By: Madison Schettler | Staff Writer
October is drawing to a close, and although spooky season is in full swing, it’s easy to be nostalgic for sunny summer days. So why not put that nostalgia to good use and start making plans for Summer 2020?
If you’re looking for an opportunity to travel while also making a difference, look no further than Salve’s Center for Community Engagement and Service.
Their South Dakota Service Trip will be held August 8-15th, and you can apply now until Friday, October 25th to join the trip at this link: https://salve.edu/south-dakota-service-trip-application.
All Salve students who have completed a minimum of ten Feinstein Community Service hours, including graduating seniors, are encouraged to apply for this trip. The application asks for a resume, two references, and a short plan outlining how they will fundraise the $750 donation to Simply Smiles, the organization that facilitates the trip.
I interviewed Eden Zaleski (’21) to get more details on the trip, and to learn why Salve students should get involved. She told me that the trip will take students to La Plant, South Dakota to work on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation with the Lakota Native Americans.
Eden explained that “Simply Smiles, the organization that facilitates this trip, has been working with the Lakota people since 2009. Because of the relationship they have built with the Natives over this time, they welcome visitors such as Salve students to the Reservation.”
During the trip, students will work in a summer camp for the children on the Reservation, as well as get to know the other residents of the Reservation while helping to build a new Simply Smiles facility, a Children’s Village, there. Students will live on Simply Smiles’ property during the trip.
Eden visited the Reservation this past summer, along with Kathleen Rendos of the Center for Community Engagement and Dr. Paula Martasian of Salve’s Psychology Department. She described how much she enjoyed getting to know the Lakota people in the three short days she spent there, and helping with the construction of the Children’s Village that Salve students will be working on next summer.
“Many children live in unsafe home environments due to alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence, and other factors. When it is complete, the Children’s Village will be a place where children who are removed from their homes can live under the supervision of other members of the tribe instead of being sent to foster care agencies that are hundreds of miles away from their people. Through ‘kin and community, . . . the mission of the Simply Smiles Children’s Village is to foster Native children to become leaders, role models, and Lakota citizens of the world.’”
Although all Salve students are welcomed and encouraged to apply, the Simply Smiles staff voiced the need for Social Work majors, Education majors, athletes, and male students when we return this summer. The various educational experiences and rich knowledge of social work and education majors are exactly what Simply Smiles looks for in volunteers, as they will be working with children.
“Sports are a big part of everyday life on the Reservation. In particular, the teens love to play basketball, so much so that when the Simply Smiles Community Center was built, they asked that a basketball court be included in the design.”
It is important that the Lakota children on the Reservation have male role models to look up to, which is why Simply Smiles encourages male students to apply. We discussed some of the advantages of this trip:
“[Learn] about a culture and way of life that is radically different from their own, [share] their experiences with others, and most importantly, [share] smiles with everyone they encounter over the course of the week.” She added that “this trip aligns perfectly with Salve Regina’s mission statement… both Salve Regina and Simply Smilesare working to create communities of people who are empowered through knowledge and action to achieve great things. Members of both communities are expected to build a brighter future for tomorrow where all people are treated respectfully and justly, which starts by using themselves as agents of change to create the kind of world they want to live in.”
If you have any questions about the trip or the application process, contact community.services@salve.edu or eden.zaleski@salve.edu
