Oxford Students Spend Spring Break Helping Kids, Families in Baton Rouge and Nashville

Each March, Volunteer Oxford provides students the opportunity to spend an “Alternative Spring Break” engaging in a service-learning project in a U.S. community. These trips promote community engagement, while growing team-building skills and deepening Oxford students’ commitment to lend a helping hand beyond campus. 

For the first time since the pandemic, students had the opportunity to choose from two trips, which were organized by Volunteer Oxford student leaders Riley Collis, Sam Birkner, Barbara Chavez, and Audrey Chen. They began planning in October, spending several hours each week researching and cold emailing various organizations to see if they wanted help.

“This year, nine Oxford students working with City Year in Baton Rouge took away a better understanding of what educational disparities look like in real life and how it takes public policy on the federal, state, and local level to improve outcomes for students in public schools across the country,” says Megan Hulgan, Oxford assistant director, Student Involvement, Leadership & Transitions, who staffed the trip.  “In Nashville, where they were accompanied by Residential Life Coordinator Isaiah Burks, they made a significant impact on the Middle Tennessee community by helping to fight food insecurity with Second Harvest, a member of the broader Feeding America system of food banks across the nation.”

"This trip, with the help of City Year, allowed us to recognize the dire need for change in education systems and resources and the importance of giving students a safe environment where they feel supported and encouraged to learn."

At five schools served by City Year, Oxford students worked in classrooms to help third-eighth graders with math and reading and assist with lunch duty and recess. They also worked in the City Year office, creating social media content and putting together giveaway bags for an upcoming fundraiser. Along the way, they learned about opportunities to work with City Year after graduating from Oxford and Emory.

In Nashville, another eight Oxford students worked long shifts in Second Harvest’s warehouse, packaging food in cold storage and assembling snack kits for elementary schoolers.

“I will say, most people don't think of the word ‘fun’ when confronted with the idea of being on your feet for hours in a refrigerated room,” says first-year student Birkner. “But I really enjoyed the atmosphere that Second Harvest and my fellow volunteers brought, as well as the work ethic that we displayed. I'm proud to say that we beat expectations shift after shift after shift. It became a bit of a game by the second day, to see if we could beat our previous records.”

Between shifts in both Baton Rouge and Nashville, student volunteers took time to explore the cities, visit museums and markets, and bond with new friends by relaxing with a movie or a board game in the evenings.

“Volunteering and building relationships with a new community was incredibly rewarding for each of us. We also had the chance to create lasting bonds with our peers from Oxford College in an unexpected environment. Alternative breaks provide a unique opportunity to forge connections and grow in ways you never anticipate.”

Learn more about ways in which Oxford College engages with community groups close to campus and across the country.