Spring

Mississippi
Students will work with Habitat for Humanity helping to build affordable houses along with those who lack adequate shelter in the Mississippi Delta. The group will also enjoy potluck dinners with current and future Habitat homeowners and other members of the community. The goal is to build relationships with the community as it builds homes. There will also be opportunities to explore local sites of interest in northern Mississippi.

France
Started in 1957, this relationship represents the longest running student exchange program between a US and a French high school. George School students work as teachers’ assistants in a variety of educational settings and live with local host families.  A trip to Paris is one of the highlights. Students also join their host families for local sightseeing. French students, in turn, visit George School several weeks later.

Ghana
Students will work at Christ Foundation Academy, an elementary school founded by, among others, a George School parent and her family. Located ten miles from Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, the school strives to improve the educational opportunities for disadvantaged children. Other service opportunities may include supporting a local private medical clinic. Students will live with relatives and friends of this George School family. Free time can be spent visiting various recreational, cultural, and historic sites, such as the early castles and forts of Ghana’s coast which testify to the tragic events of the slave trade.

Nicaragua
Students work as teachers’ assistants in our sister school in Barrio Riguero, a working-class Managua neighborhood. Other service opportunities may include repairing and upgrading schools and health clinics in impoverished areas. Students stay with host families who speak very little or no English. Cultural excursions typically involve visits to artisan markets, and historic sites, as well as the lakes and volcanoes for which Nicaragua is known.

Washington DC
Students volunteer at Martha’s Table, SOME (So Others Might Eat), DC Central Kitchen, and a local mission. Using Hostelling International as home base, students will have the opportunity to visit museums and explore our nation’s capital.

Summer

Arizona
Students work as teachers’ aides in the Kayenta Primary School ,helping at-risk elementary age children. Homestays with local families provide the opportunity to experience the daily life and culture on a Navajo Reservation. After-school activities for George School students might include horseback riding through Monument Valley, camping out on the Black Mesa, or rafting down the Colorado River.

New Orleans
Students work for the Beacon of Hope organization, reinforcing their efforts to clean up New Orleans neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina. As they work and interact with local residents still struggling to rebuild their communities, students hear first-hand accounts of the devastation of Katrina. Students stay at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church and the St. Charles Guest House. Excursions allow the students to experience the area’s rich history, culture, and cuisine by visiting Tulane University, exploring the French Quarter, and taking a swamp tour.

Vietnam
Students volunteer at the Bac Ninh Orphanage and Nurturing Center for Deaf Children near Hanoi. Service often includes working with young children, painting and repairing facilities, and gardening. GS students meet with individuals who suffer from the effects of Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War. This project includes a week-long homestay with Vietnamese families. Cultural experiences may include visiting remote Hmong ethnic villages, taking boat trips on Ha Long Bay, or exploring the historical Vinh Moc tunnels.

Parent permission forms are due by Tuesday, September 21, 2010.

Hard copies of student essays and applications are due by Monday, October 4, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.