Chicago: Using Art for Social Change

Read blog posts from the trip.

The Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life organized an Alternative Spring Break trip to Chicago, Illinois, March 26–April 3, with a follow-up program on campus on April 6. 

This service and learning trip was inspired by Middlebury College students from Chicago who were with us in Montgomery, Alabama last year, for a service/learning trip marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March.

Chicago Trip Slideshow

The group met with community leaders and organizations involved in the challenges facing Chicago around issues such as policing and incarceration, schools and education, housing, economic opportunity and inequity.

There was an emphasis on exploring the arts as a mechanism for engagement, such as rap music, poetry, the plastic and performance arts, as they are used to address these issues and empower members of the community.

Hands-on volunteering at community service projects allowed us to work directly with Chicago youth and help with food distribution programs.

This trip was highly subsidized by a number of generous donors. 

Charles P. Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life
46 South Street
Middlebury, VT 05753