The YMCA

For Youth Development
For Healthy Living
For Social Responsibility

Y Immersion

TRAVEL  |  VOLUNTEER  |  ENGAGE

The Y Immersion Program sends out student groups on service learning trips over winter and spring break to domestic and international locations to engage in social justice and environmental issues and receive leadership skills, cultural/social awareness, and further education on their designated trip themes. This is done through volunteer work, educational experiences, facility tours, and other engagement opportunities. The participants of a Y Immersion trip bring their experiences back to Minnesota, share them with the community, and are transformed into becoming global advocates for social change.

 

Join Y Immersion

 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Involvement consists of either:

1) Trip Leader - responsible for most aspects of trip planning including choosing a theme and destination, recruiting participants, attending leadership seminars at the UY, and planning pre and post trip activities. Great way to Build Leadership Skills!

2) Trip Participant - goes on the trip and attends pre and post trip activities. Fun, Fulfilling, and great way to meet new people!

 

If you are ready to join us, follow the “Join Y Immersion” link above and you will be one step closer to going on an awesome Y Immersion Adventure!


Winter Break 2012 Trips:

New Orleans

Tentative Dates: January 7 - 14

Examine the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and seek to answer why things did not go smoothly, who was affected, and what is still being done there.

Discuss how and why environmental disasters disproportionately affect people of lower socioeconomic status.  Volunteer work will focus on community development and build projects 

CONTACT - Trip Leaders Kara Rud and Elayna Waxse

 

 

Spring Break 2012 Trips:

Baltimore

Tentative Dates: March 10 - 17

Group will visit and volunteer at various organizations that strive towards reducing minority health disparities Site visits will include Johns Hopkins Medical School and the University of Maryland Center for Minority Health, among others.

CONTACT - Trip Leaders Kendra Radtke and Kira Tran

 

San Francisco

Tentative Dates: March 10 - 17

Group will visit and volunteer at various organizations that strive towards reducing the incidence of HIV and AIDS.

CONTACT - Trip Leaders Kayla Mack and Jessica Neuman

 

 

Seattle and Vancouver

Group will travel to both Seattle and Vancouver to engage in a first hand experience that will compare the major differences between private and public health care systems.  Group will volunteer in various clinics, meet with prominent leaders of the local medical community, and explore two of the most beautiful cities in North America.

CONTACT - Trip Leaders Heather EbertZach Holmquist and Elizabeth Edwards.

 


 

Design Your Own Trip

Future trip leaders can choose from a wide variety of previous trip itineraries, but we always welcome new ideas to unique destinations with different themes. The themes can be any social justice or environmental issue, and the destination city should be appropriate to the selected theme. Trips are usually planned during the summer/fall and go out over winter and spring break, but if this does not work we can usually tailor something to your desires (i.e. plan during spring semester and go out over May session). Past trips and their themes include:

  • Chicago - Urban Education Reform
  • New Orleans - Disaster Relief and Urban development
  • Zion National Park - Environmental Sustainability
  • Seattle/Vancouver - Health Care Systems
  • San Fransisco - HIV/AIDS in the Community
  • Ghana - HIV/AIDS and Health Care Development
  • San Diego/Tijuana - Immigration and Human Rights

  

Contact Us

Our Y Immersion coordinators are happy to answer any of your questions or provide more information on our programming.

Y Immersion Coordinators:  Jimmy Ennen

E-mail:  Y Immersion Coordinators

Phone:  612-676-3786

Be the first to rate this page! Did you find this page helpful? Yes No



Y Immersion in San Fransisco



Impact

Participating in or leading a Y Immersion trip is truly a life changing experience and will enhance your capacity to view our world with an enlightened perspective. It also provides you with strong experiences to draw from for future applications and interviews. Y Immersion alumni have gone on to be admitted to prestigious medical schools, law schools, and a variety of very competitive programs such as Teach for America.


































Trip Leader Kira Tran

Kira Tran

Year:  Senior
Major:  Biology
Fun Fact:  Recently visted Monkey Island in Vietnam