Feb. 2024 Department Debrief: Buck-I-SERV
February 14, 2024
Buck-I-SERV
To contact Buck-I-SERV: Email buck-i-serv@osu.edu, call 614-247-4447, visit their website or learn more about the program
Department Debrief is a monthly article from the Parent and Family Relations office dedicated to helping family members and supporters better understand the services, opportunities and support offered by particular offices for students.
This month, our team met with Buck-I-SERV to discuss how students can build relationships with community partners, fellow students and Ohio State staff, partake in civic engagement and community service, help domestic and international organizations challenge various social justice issues and acquire week-long transformative experiences.
1.) Imagine you are Cupid on a time crunch this Valentine’s Day, and a student begs for a 30-second elevator pitch of Buck-I-SERV. How would you paint the picture to make their heart flutter with love for Buck-I-SERV?
Buck-I-SERV, an alternative break program organized under the Office of Student Life’s Leadership and Community Engagement Department, offers current students the chance to volunteer domestically or internationally with community partners in addressing various social justice issues such as food insecurity and homelessness, Lucy Hennon, the coordinator for Buck-I-SERV said.
This program provides students with the opportunity to participate in weeklong service trips over the Ohio State’s winter, spring and summer breaks, Hennon said.
“They are an opportunity to engage in direct, hands-on volunteering with our community partners across the U.S. and in a few international locations,” Hennon said. “It is a great way to learn about different social justice topics impacting our communities around the world and gain some first-hand immersion in diverse communities.”
Hennon said a Buck-I-SERV trip is not only a good way to participate in experiential learning of complex topics, but it is a way to engage oneself with communities, serve alongside them, learn from them and connect with fellow peers.
“The ultimate goal is that after our trips, when students come back to campus, they take what they learn and continue to serve or advocate or be involved in social change, working in whatever way speaks to them,” Hennon said.
Since its creation in 2003, Buck-I-SERV has now provided over 1,000 trips in over 30 states and five countries, according to Student Life’s Leadership and Community Engagement Department’s website.
It costs $500 to participate in a domestic trip, roughly $2,000 for an international trip and $250 for students that apply to be a domestic trip leader, Hennon said.
Being part of the Office of Student Life, Buck-I-SERV’s participant fees are supported by the Student Activity Fee – a fee all students pay within their tuition costs each academic term to fund campus events, Hennon said. This fee helps lower participation costs.
Hennon said each trip typically has roughly 10 participants, including a student leader and an Ohio State professional advisor, both of which are trained beforehand to lead and encourage a safe, inclusive and influential experience.
Each academic break, the available trip options are rotated, but Buck-I-SERV works to ensure their relationships with community partners are consistent, Hennon said.
“We make an intentional effort to really sustain and prioritize our community partnerships,” Hennon said. “Each academic year, we often do the same trips with the same community partners, some of which we have been serving with for almost 20 years.”
Some examples of community partners include One Heartland, a camp for families and youth facing health challenges or social isolation in Pine County, Minnesota and ConstruCASA in Antigua, Guatemala that works to provide housing and health and educational programs to local Guatemalans facing poverty.
“Our groups actually get to go and work with skilled masons that are employed by ConstruCASA,” Hennon said. “They do a lot of work there from digging the foundation, to mixing concrete and actually doing a lot of hands-on construction work to build a home for a family that has been selected to receive services from ConstruCASA.”
Buck-I-SERV also works to give students an immersive experience with their community members and partners, Meagen Rinard, the assistant director for community and civic engagement said.
“[With] One Heartland, students actually stay at the camp and are helping on site,” Rinard said. “With ConstruCASA, our group stays in a homestay with a local partner we’ve been staying with for years, so they really get to engage and immerse themselves in the communities there too.”
2.) How can a student participate in a trip?
All students of Ohio State’s Columbus campus location can participate in a Buck-I-SERV trip, Hennon said. Students looking to be a participant of a trip must fill out an online application on their website and choose the trips they would like to partake in, ranking them by preference.
“Our placement process is based on applicant numbers and spots available,” Hennon said. “If we are not able to offer a student a spot on a trip, we do offer an option to remain on a waitlist and then, if things change with rosters and spots do become available, we can then offer those spots that have opened up to students.”
Once placed on a trip, students go through a pre-trip education and training process that involves Buck-I-SERV-related events such as a big kickoff for all current trip participants, three pre-trip meetings with their individual group, and a large welcome back event, Hennon said.
Students can also be a trip leader for a particular trip, serving as a leader to which participants can turn to, Hennon said.
“Our trips are really focused on trying to be as student-led as possible,” Hennon said. “So, we try to empower our students to really take the lead on our trips.”
To become a trip leader, students must still fill out their application, but it does contain a few additional short-answer questions about their experience, skills and interests, Hennon said. Once the Leadership Committee on the Buck-I-SERV Board reviews and chooses trip leaders, they must participate in three in-person trainings and a self-paced module series, both that work to prepare and empower them.
“There is no previous experience necessary to serve as a trip leader for Buck-I-SERV,” Hennon said. “We welcome and encourage people from all different backgrounds and experiences to apply to that and our framework is that we provide all of the information, training and resources necessary for them to be successful in that role.”
The applications for international trips also contain additional short answer questions, Hennon said.
Buck-I-SERV also possesses a Buck-I-SERV Board of 10 to 20 undergraduate student cohorts who participate in weekly meetings (focused on personal, professional and leadership development), plan 2 to 4 domestic trips every academic year and work directly with community partners, Hennon said.
“It is a longer-term leadership commitment for students who are really interested in community engagement, service, learning, social justice, mentorship and leadership,” Hennon said. “They work to develop itineraries and packing lists and coordinate communication. They are like a liaison between our community partners who we serve alongside and our students who are going on a trip.”
In addition to Buck-I-SERV’s Board, it also has committees, with around 3 to 4 students each, that focus on marketing, fundraising, trip leader training, event planning and more, Hennon said.
“That is a way for students to get involved in a committee around some of their interests and [to] gain more specific skills,” Hennon said.
The application process to be on the board or a committee involves an application, training and interview process, which were closed at the end of January this month, Hennon said. Buck-I-SERV begins recruitment and selection for the next academic year during the spring semester.
Although Buck-I-SERV is highly geared towards student leadership, at least one faculty or staff advisor that is selected and trained will participate in every trip, Rinard said. Although these advisors support students, manage finances and connect trip participants with alumni, they remain in the background to allow the students to take the reins.
“They are trained in higher level logistics like risk management, financial management and health and safety,” Rinard said. “They’re really there as a backup and resource for our leaders and our participants to make sure everything runs smoothly, and if any issues do arise, they are there to help mitigate any risk.”
3.) What happens if a student has financial concerns about participating in a trip?
Buck-I-SERV recently began a new initiative this spring known as the Buck-I-SERV Access Fund that utilizes received donor and gift funding to cover up to 100% of a student’s participant or leader fees, Hennon said.
“It is open to any and all students who are interested in going on a trip,” Hennon said. “They can concurrently submit their application for a trip and for the access fund.”
Receiving such funds is open to all student participants and trip leaders and is available for all Buck-I-SERV domestic and international trips, Hennon said.
To receive such funding, students complete an online form, requesting a specific amount of money that can either fully or partially cover their trip fees, as well as answer a few questions, Hennon said. Afterwards, their application is reviewed and based upon the number of applicants, requested amounts and available funds.
“Unfortunately, students are not guaranteed to receive access funds by applying, but we do our best to prioritize students who otherwise would not be able to participate in our trips due to financial barriers,” Hennon said.
For spring trips this year, eight students’ participation fees were fully funded and 11 were partially funded, Hennon said.
For students looking to participate in a summer trip, Hennon said applications to receive funding are due Feb. 18. International summer trip and trip leader applications closed on Jan. 28, but participant applications for domestic trips are available until Feb. 18.
Fundraising for the access fund will kick off in March to increase its capacity as a resource in the hopes of supporting more students, Hennon said.
Besides the access fund, Buck-I-SERV also coordinates closely with STEP – an opportunity for second-year students to submit a proposal for up to a $2,000 fellowship towards a project, Hennon said.
“We are a STEP eligible program, so any and all of our trips are able to be used for STEP signature projects and that funding can go towards our program,” Hennon said.
In addition to the access fund and STEP, Buck-I-SERV also has a Program Support Fund, Travel Assistance Fund and Disaster Assistance Fund, according to Student Life’s Leadership and Community Engagement Department’s website.
Hennon said they also work with students to develop payment plans and can recommend other campus resources that are available for students to apply for, such as scholarships.
“If for some reason we are not able to provide access funds or students are looking for other external resources, we are able to connect with students and provide resources for that too,” Hennon said.
Since Buck-I-SERV does not possess sustained donor funding, both Hennon and Rinard are looking to campaign for additional donors and gifts in March, Rinard said.
“We are always looking to and always gracious to accept any donations,” Rinard said. “So, if there are families, parents or students that have the capacity and passion for the work that we do, we would love to be able to fund more students and help sustain the good work Lucy [Hennon] has already started.”
4.) Why do you recommend students partake in a Buck-I-SERV trip?
Both Hennon and Rinard said Buck-I-SERV is simply a chance for students to engross themselves in and acquire a significant experience.
“Buck-I-SERV just provides a great opportunity for students to engage in meaningful, sustained and ethical service, engage with peers that are like-minded and their advisor as well and really build critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding and empathy that are all essential to becoming a well-rounded student and citizen in the future,” Rinard said.
Buck-I-SERV is not just an opportunity to build relationships and skill sets but is a chance for students to take what they have learned and bring it back to their local Ohio State community, Rinard said.
“I think it’s not just a one-week experience for students,” Rinard said. “It’s really a sustained program for them to engage in that week and beyond at OSU.”
Hennon said she agrees but would add that Buck-I-SERV is a chance for students to build important relationships with various communities and for those communities to support those relationships of solidarity.
“I think it is really a hands-on learning experience too,” Hennon said. “I think students get to see not only the great work that our community partners are doing, but they get to see firsthand the impact of those issues and inequalities in social injustice.”
5.) If you could offer one word of advice to Ohio state students, families and parents, what would it be?
Rinard said beyond going on a Buck-I-SERV trip, she highly recommends parents and families encourage their students to take advantage of the various opportunities Ohio State offers them outside of their academic experience.
“Take advantage of opportunities outside the classroom that will immerse them in issues and populations that might be new to them in order to broaden their understanding of the world and really help them grow as individuals and adults,” Rinard said.
Hennon agreed.
“Take advantage of resources and opportunities to try new things or learn something different or do something that you haven’t considered before,” Hennon said. “That’s one of the great benefits of Ohio state being such a large institution, there are so many resources and so many opportunities, so encourage students to find something that speaks to them.”
6.) Beyond the program: Brooke’s Breakdown of Buck-I-SERV
As a current second-year studying public affairs journalism and criminology and criminal justice studies with a minor in nonprofit management, my academic career at Ohio State has often prioritized grades and appearing as a pendant.
My first year was focused on finding a friend group to which I felt belonging of, building a respectable and stacked resume and maintaining a GPA that made my parents sing with praise but question with concern.
Today, I owe who I am as a person, worker, student and community advocate to Buck-I-SERV.
In December of 2022, I participated in my first Buck-I-SERV trip with Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City, Missouri. While there, I worked with several other students in the Christmas Warehouse, sorting donated gifts and toys for families and youth facing economic insecurity to freely pick from and give to family members during the holidays. While there, I witnessed for the first time the devastating impact economic inequality and insecurity places upon communities. But I also saw firsthand how resilient and determined these individuals were in providing a holiday to their families and how efficacious a nonprofit such as Operation Breakthrough was in working alongside them in doing that.
In March of 2022, I participated in my second Buck-I-SERV trip, traveling to Nashville, Tennessee to work with the Medici Project in volunteering with various local hunger relief organizations in bring reprieve to the unhoused and vulnerable. Sorting over 50,000 pounds of food, serving over 100 individuals facing food insecurity and preparing over 200 meals, the Medici Project worked both me and my fellow participants to our full capacity, and for good reason. While on this trip, I was able to gain knowledge about food waste, inclusivity, homelessness and food insecurity, but also acquire a meaningful relationship with the founder and CEO of the Medici Project, Vince Hungate. I also developed friendships with fellow Ohio State students whom I remain in contact with today and would do anything for.
In August of 2023, I traveled to Accra, Ghana to work with the Akumanyi Foundation and the Charity Hope Foundation to work with a local orphanage that housed over 40 children. I provided aid to the orphanage, but also worked with other students to fundraise and assist in the construction of a new dining hall. This trip would be impossible to claim it was anything but utterly life changing. There are no words profound enough to ever explain the ineffable love and gratitude I will and still have for this trip. Over two weeks, I was able to learn what true kindness and generosity is. I was able to explore a culture whose differences opened my eyes to a world and value system I was fortunate enough to witness firsthand. I was able to see a sense of camaraderie amongst individuals whose value upon community was admirable. I was lucky to find friends, family and commendable people whose benevolence and selflessness will always change the way I view the world and my actions within it. I gained an experience with memories abundant in laughter, tears, life lessons and complete contentment. Words will never be enough to explain the gratitude I have for Buck-I-SERV giving me such an opportunity.
Lastly, and most recently, I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia in December of 2023 to work with the Medici Project again. While there, I worked with nonprofits that focused on food and medical insecurity, sorting over 10,000 pounds of food with fellow local volunteers. However, I also worked closely with at-risk youth within a local juvenile detention center. It would be easy to explain my role as a volunteer in providing these youth with mentorship, but it would not accurately or adequately describe the impact the youth had upon me. Learning their experiences, participating in firsthand conversations with them about the impact educational, racial and economic inequality can have upon youth and seeing how bright minds can be dimmed by systematic oppression was eye-opening. One experience I would like to share in particular is a young individual finding out my major was journalism and asking me to write an article about them. They said they planned to one day become a fashion designer. I had asked them why they wanted me to write a story about them and their reply was “Why not? I want to share my experiences with other people so that someone doesn’t have to go through what I did.” Today, I hope to share their words and spread them.
In total, these experiences have built my knowledge, understanding, perspectives, academic studies and future career pursuits. Because of Buck-I-SERV, I now hope to continue any future career work with a nonprofit in spreading their mission, vision and opportunities. Today, I now advocate for social justice change, I added a minor in nonprofit management to acquire a further understanding of the field, I encourage other students to partake in civic engagement and involvement and I work to not just be a voice for the voiceless, but to provide marginalized communities with the opportunity and empowerment to vocalize their needs, opinions and calls for change themselves. I would encourage every student to partake in at least one Buck-I-SERV trip during their Ohio State experience.
Brooke Tacsar
Student Assistant
Parent and Family Relations