Winter ASB

Join Green Empowerment and its local partners in building on the successful implementation of renewable energy technologies in the Esmeraldas province of northern Ecuador.

Students will serve the rural cacao-growing communities of Felfa and Las Amazonas. Participants will work side by side with rural farming families, building and installing biogas digesters, passive solar dryers for cacao and/or potable water systems.

Much of the work can be physically demanding in the tropical climate, but the opportunity to help improve quality of life and conserve the fragile ecosystems of Esmeraldas is worth the effort. The group will stay in the community meeting halls in Felfa and Las Amazonas with the very basic accommodations typical in these communities. Typical Esmeraldan meals will be prepared for the group by families in each community, and students have the chance to learn how to prepare several local delicacies themselves.

Come help Green Empowerment and local partner AsoFénix improve community heath and protect the natural environment in the central hills of Nicaragua! After arriving in Managua, the group will travel into the countryside to spend a week and a half working with local families and technicians planting gardens, installing solar technologies, and constructing hygiene and sanitation facilities to improve the health, quality of life, and economic opportunities of residents in the villages of El Bálsamo and El Jazmin. The students will immerse themselves in local culture and bond with communities through shared labor. The physical work can be demanding, but seeing the smiles of the beneficiaries and the new friends you will make at the end is incredibly rewarding. Participants will stay with host families, where they will experience the local cuisine, engage in cultural exchanges, and witness firsthand the incredible impact their work makes.

Travel to the tropical islands of the Philippines with Green Empowerment! With more than 7,600 islands, abundant natural resources, and some of the world's greatest biodiversity, the Philippines is a unique and special place. The group will ring in the new year in the capital city of Manila, spending time getting introduced to the diversity and vibrancy of Filipino culture. Next, participants will take a short flight to the island of Leyte to meet some of GE’s partner communities and lend a hand installing ram pumps, latrines, and hand washing stations. These projects together help to provide families with fresh, clean water and enable proper hygiene. The group will witness firsthand the challenges faced in rebuilding communities destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013, and will support efforts to strengthen the resiliency of these communities in the face of climate change and increasing natural disasters. While the tropical climate can make some of the physical labor feel quite demanding, you will be helping to vastly improve the local quality-of-life while also helping to preserve the fragile balance of this biodiversity gem of the Pacific.
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Full-time University of Idaho students. ASB is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students must cover full trip cost as they do not pay undergraduate student fees.

Applicants are reviewed by Center for Volunteerism and Social Action staff, and teams are determined based on application information.

Students are empowered to make wise decisions with regard to their own safety and the safety of others. Actions on this trip not only reflect on the student, but on the ASB program and the University of Idaho.

The ASB program puts service at the forefront of everything it does. This is not a vacation. Facilities can be less than students are used with limited access to showers and running water, especially internationally. Students should expect limited comforts.

Participants on international trips should understand there will be limited to no contact with family and friends in the United States throughout the entire duration of the trip.