On the final day of the trip, Cornell volunteers participate in a cultural exchange with the community we are working along side. This cultural exchange can be anything from artwork, to a story. There is a lot of flexibility in what we want to show this community. In 2014 the Cornell chapter performed the “Cotton Eyed Joe,” “Thriller,” “Single Ladies,” and other popular songs in the US. Although this seems silly, many of these songs are iconic in the states and we believed would be nice to share with the community. Below is an attachment of a video of the performance.

What do you think we should do as a cultural exchange this year? Email Your thoughts at sd572@cornell.edu

In order to build as many monuments as we do in the small amount of time, we have to work each day of the trip so that we can meet our goal. Below is the schedule of a typical day.

A typical day:

7:00am - Wake up and eat a delicious homemade breakfast

8:00am - Go to worksite and work on project

12:00pm – Break for Lunch

12:00 pm - Eat lunch and play fútbol, do card games, swim, or siesta

2:00 pm - Back to worksite

4:30 pm - Wash up and spend time in the community

6:00pm - Eat Dinner

7:00 pm - Daily Bridges activity and reflection

It is not uncommon for young people to travel to a developing nation with the desire to help build a structure and leave satisfied that they have done their part to save the world. Bridges to Community is different because we are not a community service group, but a service learning organization. Service learning differs from community service because education is the primary focus for the trip. Service learning has more tangible long term goals, because the participants do not simply come and go from one project to the next, but gain experience that is applicable in their studies.  Prior to going on the trip, participants will take a 2 credit class during the spring semester. In that class we will discuss the themes of service learning, international development, Nicaraguan history, politics and cultural values. The purpose of the class component is to prepare participants for a deeper understanding of the Nicaraguan context while on the trip. On the last day of the trip we will have a cultural exchange with the community we have been working with, where we share with them some aspect of American culture and they teach us some aspect of theirs. The effects of this trip extend beyond the physical structures built; in fact, it is not uncommon for students to change their majors or desired careers after the experience. Many students remain in contact with individuals from the community via social media and email after leaving the sight and even return for multiple years.