ETDA Trip: Experiential Training and Development Alliance (ETDA) training with social and environmental justice orgs in Florida. (Tentative for January 19th & 20th, 2022)

 

Jifundishe Tanzania Tutoring:  Through our previous series of adventures partnering with Jifundishe, everything is in place for another trip to Usa River, Tanzania in March 2022.  We deliver two weeks of teaching interactive strategies for impoverished high school students to succeed on their national exams. Joyce Cuff has developed a successful curriculum easily delivered by volunteers even if they have never had teaching experience..  We also plan to incorporate a mini-forest environmental project for the first time.  A safari or two is always included. (Tentative for March 7 - 21st, 2022)

 

Mini-Forest Planting:  Tree Planting Project.  A short duration (weekend) project.  There is a move afoot to plant tiny forests designed to support bee populations, fruit trees or other specific regeneration focus.  We’ll try to find a locale in New England particularly suited for such a mini- forest.  (Tentative for April 2022)

 

Coffee House Fundraiser: (April 2022)

 

Civil Rights Trip: Aligning with the Black Lives Matter movement and our growing awareness of the importance of understanding and acknowledging our horrific history of slavery and oppression of people of color in the US.   We plan to pull together the most striking learning experiences we have had during UP’s three previous trips to the South that Tony Bennae Richard, social activist from Mississippi, was instrumental in designing. We will incorporate new educational experiences as well.  This  immersion in exploring the Civil Rights movement is coupled with service projects related to food insecurity, the environment and social justice.   This effort would likely unfold in two parts, each a week in length, with the option to participate in either or both:

• Atlanta – Montgomery  - Charleston.  Include visits to National  Human Rights Museum, Peace Memorial, Legacy Museum and Charleston International African American Museum soon to open.  Service project would likely involve a Habitat For Humanity build in Carolina area. 

• New Orleans – Jackson – Memphis.  Include visits to the Whitney Plantation, Angola Prison, Jackson Civil Rights Museum, National Civil Rights Museum and a Community Conversation with Blacks involved in the Civil Rights Movement.  Service project would most likely focus on food insecurity or the justice system. 

(Tentative for May 2022)

 

Colibri, Mexico Pocket Park: Trip to a poor neighborhood in Monterrey Mexico named after Mexico’s symbol of hope and good fortune, the hummingbird.  Would involve putting in a “pocket park”, a small park on one of the corners of this densely populated location.  The neighborhood association also has centers for childhood and adult education where we may offer some short workshops on topics of interest.  Trip concludes with a hike in the adjacent Sierra Madre Mts arranged by our main connection, Alex, with whom we have worked and visited in Monterrey.  He has climbed Mount Everest and the countryside around Monterrey is one of the most beautiful in Mexico. (Tentative for June 21 - July 1st)

 

Rozalia Project:  Marine cleanup and research in Gulf of Maine via the expedition sailing vessel, American Promise.  Rozalia non-profit is focused on regenerating the Gulf of Maine, which exhibits the fastest rising ocean temperature  in the world.  Will spend 3 - 5 days to focus on research and reducing plastic debris in the Gulf area.  (Tentative for July/August 2022)

 

September by the Sea: Annual Dinner/Auction fundraiser (September 2022)

 

The Orient Express: This multi-country package would stretch over a couple of months with the option for volunteers to do the whole trip or only one or two of the countries involved.  It could include working with children at an orphanage in Phuket, Thailand set up thanks to Nadia Al-Alawi’s history and connections there. We are looking to also partner again with the Fuller Center for Housing to do our second project in Nepal and Project Renew to do our third project in Vietnam. (Tentative for November 2022)