Life in the U.S. / Student Spotlight

Celebrating Global Youth Service Day – Part One

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Global Youth Service Day has just finished, and thousands of young people around the world have made a positive impact in their communities! This year, we’re excited to highlight some of the inspiring ways our students gave back. In Part One, we hear from International Coordinator Deana from Nebraska, who shares how her students spent time with furry friends at a local pet kennel, helping care for and give attention to the animals. Stay tuned for Part Two, where we’ll share another heartwarming story from this year’s Global Youth Service Day!

Rebecca from Germany (left), Lara from Germany (center), and Julie from Belgium (right) smiling with a volunteer (back) at a kennel in Nebraska

My students Julie from Belgium, Becky from Germany, and Lara from Germany all love animals. As I have worked with these girls all year as their International Coordinator, it seemed like a great idea for us to use Global Youth Service Day to give our time and energy to some “furry friends” in our community.

I reached out to Country Acres Pet Resort in Blair, Nebraska. They allowed us to shadow their employees for the afternoon as they gave play time to the dogs under their care being boarded/kenneled.

Julie from Belgium (left), Lara from Germany (center), and Rebecca from Germany (right) with their new new fluffy friends as they volunteer in Nebraska

We first got a tour of their facility and then assisted the staff with getting the dogs outside for play time. We began with the “littles” and worked our way up to the bigger-sized dogs. Besides enjoying watching them run around and play, the girls were able to give all the dogs some much-needed love and attention as they were away from their owners for the weekend. We also had to do a little kennel clean up, so we assisted with dog waste removal. Not a glamorous job, but it is part of the job of caring for the animals!

Lara from Germany (left), Rebecca from Germany (center), and Julie from Belgium (right) continuing their volunteer work and making sure every animal gets some love!

This small act of kindness and a few hours of volunteering our time really helped the staff with their duties in caring for these animals. It was a great experience for the girls. They had a hard time saying goodbye to their new fluffy friends, and the animals clearly enjoyed all the attention they received. What a great way to spend a beautiful spring day, giving hugs and love to dogs who were away from their homes and owners, helping the staff with their duties, and getting some doggie kisses!

Would you also like to work with students from across the world? Join the Aspect team as an International Coordinator! We are always looking for great candidates in many communities, large and small, across the U.S. For more information about the International Coordinator position and how to apply check out our website!