Some students decided to spend their Thanksgiving serving more than just turkey and pie.

In conjunction with Manna Project International, 10 students traveled to Nicaragua to participate in a week of service and learning in two small, impoverished communities around the capital city of Managua.

One of the communities, La Chureca, is located near a trash dump for the municipalities of Managua. There, the locals struggle with chronic respiratory illnesses and skin disorders. Even children suffer since they sift through heaps of waste from the time they are four years old.

The students faced some of the immediate problems of that community and worked in a nearby elementary school. They played with children, helped with programs at the school and educated over 25 mothers about safe sex.

"I was so pleased at how curious they were," said senior Cara Bilotta, who helped lead the sex education class."It was a feeling you really can't describe."

Junior Karen Baker said she had a similarly indescribable experience in Nicaragua.

"I've definitely re-evaluated certain aspects of my life," she said. "I feel more like a global citizen, (and) I've been exposed to a new culture."

Manna Project International, which began at Vanderbilt in 2004 and now has four university chapters, is one of many organizations under the Office of Active Citizenship and Service umbrella. At OACS, students and an advising staff work together to create global volunteer opportunities and approach service from new directions.

"Active citizenship is really a way of life. Service is a way of life," said OACS Director Mark Dalhouse."It's about meeting our responsibilities to one another."

Manna Project's trip, the first over Thanksgiving break, is another step toward that goal.

Another example of a new approach to service is connecting service with education.

Junior Jennifer Hirsch, a conflict resolution major, serves as president of Students Taking Action Now: Darfur, a focus group that emphasizes awareness about genocide issues and human rights abuses.

"As a global citizen, it is important for me to be involved in service," Hirsch said. "There is a huge connection between active citizenship and service."

The idea of connecting one's personal values with education was encapsulated in the name change to OACS in 2004 from the Office of Volunteer Activities. The change, like nearly all of OACS' implementations, was student-initiated.

"We are looking for students to come to us with ideas," Dalhouse said.

Social responsibility is another priority - and challenge - of OACS.

Junior Zack Brickhouse's experience in Nicaragua gave him new insight into the philosophy.

"What it comes down to is that we have the opportunity to help," he said.

And global service doesn't necessarily mean an exotic locale: sometimes the chance lies right at home.

For example, the exponential growth of Nashville's refugee population has led to the establishment of refugee centers.

"Nashville is an increasingly global city," Dalhouse said. "You don't have to go to Africa to have a global service experience anymore."

However, there are service opportunities abroad, such as the OACS-run Kampala Project in Uganda.

Other groups, such as Alternative Spring Break, the largest student-run organization, provide a chance for students to do service in North and Central America, while the Vanderbilt Internship Experience in Washington offers essential instruction in public service.

"You can really get a front seat to the issues of our time," Dalhouse said.