VALPARAISO – Valparaiso University calls its students to lead lives of service, and spring break 2026 saw several groups rise to the task. This year’s spring break service trips took members of the Valpo campus community both close to home and across the country, addressing issues such as disaster recovery, racial and environmental justice, and low-income housing repair.

Each year, nearly half of the student body participates in these efforts, contributing a combined 247,000 hours of community outreach and service-learning.

“As an institution dedicated to helping students discover how they are called to lead and serve, it’s essential that our students practice translating their learning into service for the broader world,” said Anna Stewart, assistant dean at Christ College — the Honors College and faculty leader of the Northwest Indiana and Chicago trip. “At Valpo, we’re never solely educating students for careers; we’re building lives for good.”

NWI and Chicago Trip
Ten students and two staff members spent their week of service addressing issues in their own back yard. Working with a variety of local nonprofit organizations – including the Dunes Learning Center and Shirley Heinze Land Trust, students learned about and addressed issues of racial and environmental justice.

“Learning the details about my own place changes my perspectives so much,” said Hailey Morse, ’27. “This is a community I am a part of. I learned more about what my community needs, and what gifts and passions I have to offer.”

During the trip, students completed a variety of projects, including installing smoke detectors in homes in South Chicago, removing an invasive plant species at Meadowbrook Preserve, and packing boxes of locally-grown food for new moms on WIC with the Northwest Indiana Food Council. Through it all, students not only discovered the issues facing many of their neighbors, but also just how much of a difference they can make as volunteers.

“One theme that really emerged for us was that even though society’s structures might create precarious conditions for communities and the environment, groups can come together to help protect vulnerable people,” said Kat Peters, assistant director of the Institute for Leadership and Service at Valpo.

“By learning about the issues we were working on, I now know why I’m here, why I’m doing this,” said Jack Hull, ’27. “Knowing the damage that exists and repeatedly seeing it, gives me the reason and the drive to serve more.”

Asheville, North Carolina
Valpo students dedicated themselves into hurricane disaster relief in Asheville, North Carolina, working with Habitat for Humanity to build and repair homes for those impacted by severe weather. Abby Burton ’26 and Nate Peyer ’28 served as student leaders on the trip, stepping into these roles after participating in previous spring break service experiences and seeking to make an even greater impact.

“My freshman year, I just wanted to go out on a limb,” said Burton, who has gone on service trips every year while attending Valpo. “You meet people you wouldn’t have talked to, you get closer to your faculty advisors, and they’re for a good cause. It’s just rewarding.”

Both student-leaders enjoyed getting to work with their hands, gaining experience with tools and techniques they don’t often encounter in their academics. Burton got to build decks, while Peyer installed trim.

“When you start to put those things on, the houses start to look complete,” Peyer said. “The work itself isn’t always necessarily enjoyable, but seeing the progress and sharing that connection with others and knowing you were helping people is.”

While Burton and Peyer find fun and fulfillment on their service trips, they don’t lose sight of the fact that these efforts are part of living out a commitment to service and faith – two of Valparaiso University’s core values.

“There are people here who want to help others and are willing to spend a whole week doing service,” said Burton. “You get to learn things while helping others in need and exploring a new place.”

“At the end of the day, this is not for me, I’m here to help,” Peyer said. “I’m here to be an extension of the University. I’m there to work, and God is working through me in those moments. Coming from that faith aspect, we’re called to serve others. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Wilmington, North Carolina
A second group going to North Carolina made their way to Wilmington to work with WARM, NC, a non-profit organization dedicated to repairing, rebuilding and making homes accessible for low-income communities. Like Valpo, their mission is to spread generosity and service, and students were happy to join the effort.

“Overall, when I reflect on our Valpo mission, to lead and serve, our students truly have taken the step-up to lead by choosing to spend a week in service of others, and to engage meaningfully in the community,” said Thomas Arce, assistant dean of students for student engagement. “Valpo ‘builds lives for good’ and this statement couldn’t be more true this past week.”

Many of the homeowners who received assistance from Valpo students, WARM and other volunteers were elderly, disabled, and veterans in need of help to make their homes into something that worked with their needs. One major project was building accessibility ramps to allow homeowners the freedom to move in and out of their homes safely and independently.

While the physical work was important, Valpo students also engaged in the vital task of connecting with homeowners and project partners, forging strong relationships with them and each other.

“Last week was a great example of leaning into our mission purposefully, both to benefit the community we spend time and energy – and enriching our fellow student relationships with their fellow Valpo peers,” said Arce.

Memphis, Tennessee
Communities weren’t the only targets for this year’s service efforts. Valpo students that headed to Memphis Tennessee were on a mission of environmental protection, and restoration, working with Living Lands and Waters to clean up Lake McKeller, as well as its beaches and surrounding areas.

“Students used their skills and personal motivation to make a tangible difference in Memphis’ community while also talking about ways that we can make a difference back at Valparaiso,” said Will Dzuricsko, assistant director of Union operations at Valparaiso University. “After a long week of work, all groups present accounted for a total of 33,547 lbs of trash picked up.”

The trash largely piles up due to man-made levees and other structures cutting off water flow, leaving piles of plastic, styrofoam, tires and much more both in the water and along the shore. Valpo joined three other universities in the cleanup effort, turning every day into a new project with different goals, competitions, and opportunities for service, learning and the real meaning of leadership.

“Leadership does not have to come with a title,” said Candy Weber, major gifts officer. “Living Lands and Waters origins of one 23-year-old man and an $8000 grant culminating into the current organization with a $2M operating budget that has removed 13.5 million pounds of garbage from America’s rivers is a great example.”

On the way to and from Memphis, the group also got to see a number of historic landmarks, including Lincoln’s Tomb, St Louis’ Gateway to the West and Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.

Other Trips
The College of Nursing and Health Professions had two international trips this year, heading to Belize and Ireland. In Belize, future health care leaders played essential roles in patient care – conducting medical intake, performing triage, assisting physicians during treatment, and more. In Ireland, students immersed themselves in the local culture while engaging in an interprofessional healthcare collaboration workshop.

Working Across Vocations Everywhere through Service (WAVES) brought students from across disciplines to Antigua, Guatemala. While there, an engineering team worked to repair a faulty water tank system, education students connected with local teachers and education systems, and a nursing cohort provided health guidance to local women and children.

An additional domestic service trip went to Jonesville, Virginia, where students lent their time and energy to provide low-income housing repair in Appalachia alongside the Appalachian Service Project (ASP). Since 1969, ASP has brought over 15,000 volunteers each year to help hundreds of families.

To learn more about last year’s service trips, see the story here. For more information on a specific trip, or to connect with the campus community members involved, contact michael.fenton@valpo.edu.

About Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University is an independent, Doctoral/Professional University with a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum in Valparaiso, Indiana. Nearly 2,500 students and 191 full-time faculty comprise a community of learning dedicated to excellence and grounded in the Lutheran tradition of scholarship, freedom and faith. Valpo is nationally recognized for the quality and innovative character of its academic programs. Valparaiso University offers more than 100 majors and minors through the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Nursing and Health Professions and Christ College — The Honors College.