Bright Light Volunteers Offers Educational Volunteer Programs in Popular Cuba Destination and Worldwide
Mahatma Gandhi once said,“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Bright Light Volunteers, a Dallas-based nonprofit that builds global leaders through culturally immersive, interactive service projectsthroughout the world, has partnered with Bethel University to offer international learning options to high school and collegestudents nationwide. Through the partnership with the higher education institution in Tennessee, students now have the opportunity to earn transferable college credits at a reduced rate for their service learning work, while developing a global backdrop for the rest of their educational and professional lives.
In partnership with Bethel University, courses are now offered online, with current service learning locations in Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands and Peru. Dual-enrollment courses are being offered to high school students (juniors and seniors) looking to add to their college applications. Students that participate in the class and service program will earn 50 certified community service hours, as well as one transferable, 3-credit university course.
Bright Light Volunteers is passionate in its pursuit to promote education in a global way. The organization empowers students with the ability to design and plan their own cross-cultural experiences across the globe, helping facilitate trips to communities that are in need of help.Safe, enjoyable initiatives include:improving school facilities, building clean-burning stoves, installing fresh water wells and more. Depending on location, student groups stay in hotels or in homes to further immerse themselves in local culture. Students are encouraged to fundraise and seek support within their communities to cover the program donation.
Among its many distinctions, Bright Light Volunteers is one of the leading organizations to offer educational volunteer programs in Cuba, with over a dozen programs completed since the travel ban was officially lifted in 2015. This summer and fall, Bright Light Volunteers will be leading six more student groups to Cuba. For many years, Cuba had been a mysterious and unknown place for Americans due to restrictions placed by President Kennedy in 1962.Since the travel ban was officially lifted in 2015 by President Obama, the Bright Light Volunteers “Cuba Unlocked” program has seen increasing growth and popularity. The programprovides students and adult volunteers an invaluable cultural and educational experience, and the opportunity to help heal relationships with Cuba.
For more information about Bright Light Volunteers and to learn more about upcoming programs, visit www.brightlightvolunteers.organd follow the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For more information about college credit and dual-enrollment opportunities, contact Stacie Freeman at Bethel University at freemans@bethelu.edu.
About Bright Light Volunteers
Bright Light Volunteers is a Dallas based nonprofit that builds global leaders through culturally immersive, interactive service projects abroad. Its mission is to bring the world closer together and to build global leaders. Bright Light has educational programs in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos, Ghana, Cambodia, Greece, Albania and Mexico. Service initiatives include such as improvement of school facilities, building clean-burning stoves, installation of fresh water wells, learning about cultural cuisines and visiting sacred places like Machu Picchu. For more information, visit: www.brightlightvolunteers.org/.
About Bethel University
Bethel University is a private, non-profit, four (4) year, post-secondary educational institution founded in 1842 and affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church with its primary campus located in McKenzie, Tennessee. Bethel is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, and master's degrees. In addition, Bethel's School of Education's educator preparation program is accredited by the national Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. For more information, visit: www.bethelu.edu/.
