SIFE gives back to a Bahamian community
Kristin Sullivan
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Web Exclusives
SIFE members departed Jan. 6 for a 10-day service project in the Bahamas, unaware of the friends they would meet, the impact they would make and the rewarding memories they would leave the island with.
SIFE, or Students in Free Enterprise, is a business and education club aimed at providing service experience and leadership skills while giving back to the community. In the past, SIFE has also done things such as fundraisers like the Polar Plunge and many blood drives. To help fund trips such as the one to the Bahamas, SIFE members sold raffle tickets.
SIFE's stay in the town of Freeport included many different service projects.
Students taught for children first through sixth grades at several schools, teaching lessons regarding money, ecotourism and advertising. For education majors, this was the best part.
"When I taught, it felt amazing that I was able to teach little children concepts that they didn't understand," Jess Donovan, a sophomore education major, said. "It wasn't what we taught or lessons we planned that made a difference, it was simply our presence that impacted the children."
Aside from teaching, SIFE members helped out in the greater Bahamian community. Students painted houses and buildings, did some of the citizens' yard work, installed computer labs in some of the schools and held events such as the Special Olympics at a Beacon School, which caters exclusively to children with special needs.
Students worked from sunup to sundown, waking up at 6 a.m. and often not getting back to the hotel until seven in the evening.
"This was definitely the hardest part," sophomore Bryan Weber said about the strenuous hours of work. "But it was all definitely rewarding in the end."
Somewhere in between the continuous "go, go, go" mindset, students found time to have their own fun. At night, some of the students set up activities, such as movie nights, scavenger hunts and dinner outings for everyone. They also visited a local tourist attraction, Port Lucaya, and spent free time bonding with the local Bahamian people.
SIFE, or Students in Free Enterprise, is a business and education club aimed at providing service experience and leadership skills while giving back to the community. In the past, SIFE has also done things such as fundraisers like the Polar Plunge and many blood drives. To help fund trips such as the one to the Bahamas, SIFE members sold raffle tickets.
SIFE's stay in the town of Freeport included many different service projects.
Students taught for children first through sixth grades at several schools, teaching lessons regarding money, ecotourism and advertising. For education majors, this was the best part.
"When I taught, it felt amazing that I was able to teach little children concepts that they didn't understand," Jess Donovan, a sophomore education major, said. "It wasn't what we taught or lessons we planned that made a difference, it was simply our presence that impacted the children."
Aside from teaching, SIFE members helped out in the greater Bahamian community. Students painted houses and buildings, did some of the citizens' yard work, installed computer labs in some of the schools and held events such as the Special Olympics at a Beacon School, which caters exclusively to children with special needs.
Students worked from sunup to sundown, waking up at 6 a.m. and often not getting back to the hotel until seven in the evening.
"This was definitely the hardest part," sophomore Bryan Weber said about the strenuous hours of work. "But it was all definitely rewarding in the end."
Somewhere in between the continuous "go, go, go" mindset, students found time to have their own fun. At night, some of the students set up activities, such as movie nights, scavenger hunts and dinner outings for everyone. They also visited a local tourist attraction, Port Lucaya, and spent free time bonding with the local Bahamian people.
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