Mar 24, 2016 By Jacob Meyer sports Editor 3 min read

The changes to the Waynesburg University 2016-17 academic calendar also affect the mission trips offered to students in the fall, winter, spring and summer breaks. 

The break that is most affected is the mission trips done in the winter. With classes starting on Jan. 9, for the Spring 2017 semester, two days earlier than in 2016, the trips in early January will either spend two fewer days serving or will leave earlier, according to Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of Student Services.

There are four trips scheduled for the winter break next year: Bahamas Public School, Trans World Radio in Bonaire, Strong Missions in Carrillos, Costa Rica and Mustard Seeds Communities in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Waynesburg has gone to all of these locations before for mission trips, but Costa Rica, which was a spring break mission trip this year, is being moved to the winter. 

The prices for the Bonaire and Costa Rica trips are expected to decrease, according to Hardie, since the trips are being reduced by two days this year. On the Faith, Learning and Service Immersion Trips form found in the Center for Service Leadership in Stover, the cost for the Bonaire and Costa Rica trips are $1,500 and $2,000, respectively.

“They’ll probably reduce,” Hardie said. “And that happens sometimes, when we figure out funding and things for the trip, this is just an estimated cost. Our ultimate goal is to reduce that.”

For the Bahamas and Jamaica trips, they will leave on Dec. 31, rather than on Jan. 2. Even though the immersion trips form shows the trips are supposed to begin on Jan. 2, Hardie said everything on that form is temporary and subject to change.

“Those partnerships require a whole week,” Hardie said. “So if we left on [Jan. 2], that’s a Monday, so that wouldn’t give them a full week to serve.”

Hardie said a new trip in the spring is a Pittsburgh Immersion trip, which will be similar to the Greene County Immersion trip, giving students the opportunity to serve locally. The trip is from Feb. 27 to March 3 and is projected to cost $150.

Two new trips appear in the spring; Hardie said students will work with the Center for Student Missions in Philadelphia. The trip is expected to cost $400. Hardie said the goal is to connect that trip with the sociology students.

Another trip being added during spring break is the $900 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation trip in Brooksville, Florida from Feb. 26-March 5. 

“That’s really utilizing what they’re learning in biology and environmental science. It’s a really great hands-on, learning experience there,” said Hardie.

The ultimate goal of the service trips is to live out the mission of Waynesburg University through the trips.

“Our mission is faith, learning and service, so all of these trips have a faith component, but if we can certainly link these trips with academics and service, that’s our ultimate goal,” Hardie said. “I think that’s so evident on so many trips. If we can have an academic component with all of them I think that’s our ultimate goal, to live out our mission.”

For more information on these trips, and the rest of the mission trips for the 2016-17 school year, go under the Service tab on myConnect or go to the Center for Service Leadership on the first floor of Stover.