Homeward to My Heritage:
Spring Break Trip to Washington D.C.

To apply for the opportunity to participate in the 2024 spring break trip being coordinated by the MSC Woodson Black Awareness Committee, please read this information in its entirety before starting application. The program is scheduled from March 10-15, 2024, and you must be in College Station to participate. Although this is a MSC WBAC sponsored event, the applicant pool is open to any full-time TAMU College Station student who meets eligibility requirements as delineated below.

INFORMATIONALS

• Wednesday, Sept. 20 5:30-6:30 PM MSC 2240
• Thursday, Sept. 21 6:30-7:30 PM MSC 2240

Your application is due by Friday, September 29, 2023 - 4 PM.   Your application will only be considered complete with your $300 non-refundable deposit - see specific directions below in the FUNDING section.  NOTE: All deposits will be returned to students that are NOT selected to attend.  Should you have questions after reading this in its entirety, send them to wbac@msc.tamu.edu.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Memorial Student Center Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee (MSC WBAC) enhances the understanding of the culture, contributions, and impact on society of people of African descent by providing educational and community-building programs and experiences for the Texas A&M University communities.

THE PROGRAM

The Homeward to My Heritage (H2MH) program was derived from the MSC WBAC 2020-2023 Strategic Plan objective to develop a high-impact practice initiative for the benefit of student development related to the African diaspora. Consistent with our purpose of providing educational programming, community-building and enriching experiences, this new initiative is a three-fold, learning initiative that includes:

1. Curriculum & Presentations
2. Day Trips & Spring Break Trips
3. Ancestry Project
    

More specifically, the MSC WBAC will coordinate this travel experience that is open to Texas A&M students that meet eligibility. The student learning outcomes are as follows:

• Engage in an educational program through experiential learning:
• Build community and be open to live and learn with their peers
• Develop leadership skills through the trip planning process
• Process learning through assessment activities

OVERVIEW

Trip Dates: March 10-15, 2024 (Sunday-Friday)
Location: Washington DC
Cost: $936.00 
Includes: Airfare, Ground Transportation, Admission Tickets, Hotel
Does not include: Meals, Snacks, Souvenirs, Airline Baggage Fees

ELIGIBILITY

• Full-time student (graduate or undergraduate) during 2023-2024 academic year at TAMU-CS.
• Students graduating prior to the program’s departure/return dates are ineligible to participate.
• Minimum Academic Standing: 2.0 cumulative GPR (undergraduate); 3.0 cumulative GPR (graduate).
• Must be 18 years old by September 29, 2023.
• Having a state recognized ID with at least six months validity before time of departure is required of all students.
• Students must have a demonstrated ability to function effectively in a cross-cultural environment and to uphold the image of Texas A&M as a world-class university
• MSC Woodson Black Awareness Committee reserves the right to deny acceptance to applicants who have been convicted of any felony or other crimes.
• Upon selection as a trip participant, the student must be able to fulfill their role and the expectations as delineated in the next section.

PARTICIPANT ROLE AND EXPECTATIONS 

Consistent with the Memorial Student Center’s mission of engaging students in experiences preparing them to be global leaders through providing campus programs and service opportunities; participants will take an active role in the planning and execution of this program. 

• Act as the planners for the daily excursions; either individually or in teams of two.
• Attend one of the two informationals offered in September 2023.
• Attend/Actively engage in monthly meetings with the MSC WBAC director and staff liaison (October 2023, November 2023 and February 2024).  NOTE: These meetings are to fully understand your role in the program, brainstorm, complete tasks, sign forms, make monthly payments, and ultimately outline in detail the day-to-day event of the trip. NOTE: Participants may be dropped from the program if they miss even one meeting and deposit will NOT be returned.
• Participate in assessment assignments: 1) a daily journaling exercise and 2) a photo reflection book.
• Meet every evening to complete assessment assignments and review the itinerary for the upcoming day.
• Lead the group on day(s) assigned to specific locations or places.
• Responsible for assisting trip participants in meeting scheduled departures (e.g., from hotel to daily excursions, from hotel to airport, etc.).
• Refrain from alcoholic consumption for the duration of the program even if you are of age to drink alcohol.
• Be informed of the consequences of any infractions of the rules prior to the trip. This will be done through a handout to be developed at one of the planning meetings.
• There will be no excessive noise after 10:30 p.m. in the hotel and students will be required to be in the hotel by a set curfew time.
• Required to move as a group when in DC. No wandering around by yourself or separating from the group for any reason.
• If participant withdraws from the program after airline tickets have been purchased, the $300 non-refundable deposit and money deposited up to the price of the ticket will not be refunded.

FUNDING

• The total cost of the trip is $936.00 per student participant; and covers airfare, ground transportation in Washington DC, admission tickets and hotel.  NOTE: It will be encouraged to book a hotel that offers “free” breakfast as a part of the room rate.
• You are responsible to bring funds for these expenses: meals, snacks, souvenirs, and/or airline baggage fees.
• A $300 non-refundable deposit is due in order to consider your application; and should be paid by check or money order - NO cash, NO electronic payments.
• The $300 non-refundable deposit will be refunded if the applicant is not selected to participate in the program.
• The $300 non-refundable deposit will not be refunded if you change your mind.
• You will pay your $300 non-refundable deposit directly to Melany Pearl office located in MSC 2240 - Memorial Student Center Student Programs Office on:
   Thursday, September 28, 2023, between 9 AM - 4 PM
   Friday, September 29, 2023, between 2-4 PM
• Payment Plan is as follows: 
   

              Payment 1: $300 non-refundable deposit
              Payment 2: $212 at October meeting
              Payment 3: $212 at November meeting
              Payment 2: $212 at February meeting 

• Partial funding for this program may be available through one of these Student Travel Grants. Please read carefully for eligibility and apply if you need financial assistance. IMPORTANT: Do not apply until you have been selected to participate.
• Financial assistance cannot cover the $300 non-refundable deposit; and pending grants cannot be credited in lieu of making monthly payment.  If a grant comes in after payment made by a student, students will be refunded any monthly payment if the grant covers that payment.
• Please note that no part of your cost includes the staff liaison expenses; this is 100% funding by the committee/department.
• MSC WBAC is covering the costs of the assessment tools for this experiential learning program.

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Complete this application - APPLY NOW button.
    
2. Pay $300 non-refundable deposit directly to MSC WBAC advisor, Melany Pearl (Memorial Student Center - Student Programs Office - Suite 2240 - 2nd floor of the Memorial Student Center), 979-845-1515.  NOTE: No electronic payments or cash; Payment by check or money order ONLY written to "MSC WBAC" accepted.
    
3. Applications will be screened by the MSC WBAC executive leadership team, Diaspora Education director and advisor to narrow the number of candidates to make selections OR recommend for interview process. 
    
4. If an interview process is deemed necessary, applicants selected for an interview will be contacted via email to set up a Zoom interview time.  Interviews will be conducted by: One member of the MSC WBAC executive leadership team, Diaspora Education director and MSC WBAC advisor.

5. Applicants shall be notified of the outcome no later than October 5, 2023 by email.  
 

QUESTIONS 

Email Diaspora Education Director at wbac@msc.tamu.edu.