This summer signified a significant milestone for ACE, marking the return of in-person international programming after a three-year pause by the COVID-19 pandemic. ACE offered three in-person, international-based programs focused on supporting community-based organizations located in Costa Rica, South Africa, and Vietnam and one virtual program that supported community partners in Thailand. Forty Duke and Stanford student-athletes representing twenty-four different sports teams participated this summer (nine Duke and fifteen Stanford teams). Across the four programs, ACE student-athletes contributed over 4,260 hours of service with organizations focused on youth development, education, sustainability and marine conservation, food insecurity, and sports enrichment.
“I am incredibly grateful for the Rubenstein-Bing ACE program for providing me with this experience of a lifetime. The friendships made and memories created will stay with me forever. Even more importantly, the valuable lessons learned in sustainability will be implemented into my everyday life. ACE has taught me that as a community, we have the power to make a difference. The small daily conservation efforts from the locals in Gandoca add up over time to make a tremendous difference. By applying the same effort at Duke, we can make a positive impact in the local community.”
– Cameron Kerr, Duke Men’s Soccer, ACE in Costa Rica
This summer saw the inclusion of ACE’s first-ever program in Costa Rica, where participants worked on conservation-focused projects with local community members in the Costa Rican village of Gandoca to promote wildlife and ecosystem conservation and sustainable resource use. Projects including assisting in the maintenance of organic cocoa farms, conserving the local sea turtle population through beach clean-ups and night patrols to monitor turtle nesting, supporting a mangrove reforestation project by planting over 200 saplings along the coastline, and maintaining infrastructure at the community school.
“As a student-athlete, it’s so easy to get caught up in everyday commitments and not feel the trust and love in connections like I did with my fellow coaches. I feel as though I’m always planning for the weeks ahead, meaning I’m forgetting to appreciate the ‘now.’ Due dates, deadlines, and before I know it, I’m forgetting to make time for my friends, or a phone call with my mom. I take it for granted that I feel solid and comfortable in these relationships, but something I learned from the incredible Vietnamese coaches and directors, and something I want to incorporate more into my life now, is how vocal they are about their love, support and appreciation for each other.”
– Ava Sorrento, Stanford Women’s Gymnastics, ACE in Vietnam
Across all programs, ACE participants worked closely with program leaders who facilitated team building, encouraged meaningful opportunities for group reflection, managed community partner relationships, offered mentorship and support during project work, tracked project progress, and organized cultural enrichment opportunities.
Now back on campus, ACE participants will work closely with ACE staff and campus partners to design personal ACE Action plans. Based on their Action Plans, past student-athletes have created service opportunities for their teams, taken language classes pursued other related academic coursework, and applied for service post-graduate fellowships.