Jumbo Spring Break Experiences

Civic Engagement

Jumbo Spring Break is putting civic engagement as the core of our experience, following the Tufts mission. JSB wants to make civic engagement an fun and enjoyable experience where students are able to learn, give back to the community, and feel a sense of belonging and purpose while doing work for others. Through this trip our goal is to promote civic engagement as a part of a fun and exciting experience and to give students the knowledge, skill and opportunity to get engaged with the community in a variety of fields of interests. We want to show that being civically engaged and volunteering can be done with no previous experience can be really fun and exciting and creates incredible memories. 

Habitat for Humanity

For JSB 2025 we have decided to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity’s collegiate challenge.  Habitat for Humanity describes itself as “a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home.” They believe that affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities. Volunteers are an essential part in the work they do and without people dedicating their time and efforts to the building projects, their work and mission would not be possible. Volunteers do an array of different projects on the building site from building wall support and indoor constructions through doing the outside facades and insulation, to installing drywalls and painting all parts building a house are done by volunteers. All volunteer work is done with the guidance and support of HFH managing staff and they are always present on the building site. The exact tasks on the trip will depend on the stage of the build that the site is in and volunteering requires no previous experience in building.

To learn more check out the Habitat for Humanity website. 

Social

The second core component of Jumbo Spring Break is building community and social connection. JSB offers an array of opportunities to socialize, expand friendships, and form genuine connections with other Tufts students. You can join JSB as a friend group, or on your own — we want everyone to feel welcomed and leave the experience enriched in friendships and memories that become an essential part of your Tufts experience. Get ready for lots of fun evening events, times to hangout, have genuine and reflective discussions, and memorable experiences on an amazing travel experience. 

Jumbo Spring Break 2024

Last year we had an amazing time with our first ever experience in the Greater Boston area. Students participated in an array of experiences, from meeting with the Medford Mayor, Environment America, and Medford Housing authority and discussing the housing crisis in Medford, all the way to spending three days on the Malden Habitat for Humanity build site. Students had an opportunity to learn more about pressing housing issues in the area and afterwards experience the act of civic engagement through a volunteering experience, helping build houses for the community. The week did not lack in social experiences either, with daily group dinners, evenings spent bowling, doing escape rooms and group board game nights. Overall JSB 2024 offered an array of different opportunities for students and created friendships and worthwhile connections with professionals in the community.

To hear more about Jumbo Spring Break 2024 check out the Tufts Now article.