Service And Learning Term (SALT) Assignments Take Students All Over The World

Service and Learning Term is a fun way to get your hands dirty! It’s a week-long innovative learning experience that takes place outside the normal classroom. It happens every other year in groups of students and faculty. Check out the assignments from 2025 to get a feel for the experience our students have through service, away from our campus.

local area with sponsors, Beth Swantz, Megan Walsh, AshLee Miller, Jess Hart, and Sheri Martin

Middle School students will be participate in SALT programming on campus. Students (and teachers) will participate in a variety of activities throughout the week including projects for Crowded Closet, creating dog mats for a local animal shelter, and painting and cleaning at Hillcrest. There will also be student led chapels and other opportunities for the 6-8 students to interact with one another and the teachers. 

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala with sponsors, Sierra Cheney and Andrea Farrier

This international experience will involve working alongside missionaries who have lived in Quetzaltenango for over 25 years, providing valuable insight into the community. Throughout the trip, students will spend several days assisting in an elementary school and one day at a more remote middle school, supporting teachers and students in a fully Spanish-speaking environment. In addition to classroom involvement, students will help with any projects the schools need. Beyond time in the schools, students will immerse ourselves in the culture of Quetzaltenango by visiting as many churches as possible for worship services, engaging with the local community, and practicing Spanish with native speakers to deepen our understanding and connection.

Wynne, Arkansas with sponsors, Nate Miller and Ann Gonzales

Students will serve with the relief organization, Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS)  to help reconstruct homes that were destroyed by tornadoes in 2023. The group will make the 8 hour drive to Wynne, Arkansas on Sunday, March 23; work Monday through Friday; and return on Saturday, March 29. Students will spend most of their time working, but there will also be time to learn about MDS, visit with those who were affected by the tornado, and do some group activities in the evenings. Food and lodging are provided by MDS.

local area with sponsors, Corben Weaver Boshart, Marcus Miller, and Noah Hughes

Students will do a variety of activities that engage the body, mind, and spirit. Activities will include the University of Iowa Challenge Course, light training sessions, meeting with sports professionals (coaches, psychologists, and/or nutritionists), service projects, and analyzing film. Throughout the week, the group will reflect on how sport becomes an arena of God’s grace and communion.

local area with sponsors, Mikayla Tackaberry and Tom Carey

Students will create a set list to minister through music to those  in nursing homes, hospitals and at home. Students will practice and refine the set list, then will visit individuals connected with local churches in their rooms at nursing homes such as Pleasantview in Kalona. Students will also spend time with patients in hospice care in hospitals and in their homes and bring the healing ministry of music to them.

various locations with sponsors, Bryn Hovde and Beau Risely

Each day students will explore a different artistic setting – a local art gallery/museum, a beautiful church, local artisan’s workshops – JK Woodworks & Schlabaugh & Sons, a Nature Walkabout, and 10,000 Villages as well as volunteering there for the afternoon.  For half of each day students will work on an “art walk” mural where they will literally walk on and share with the school community.

Omaha, Nebraska with sponsors, Bryan Neuschwander and Greta Anderson

Partnering with the organization Christ for the City International (CFCI), this group will be guided through several service ministries throughout the city each day, such as a ranch with therapy animals, homeless shelter, food bank, or job training center for those reentering the workforce for various reasons. Students will have the opportunity to learn and serve alongside workers in these locations. On Friday, the group will spend a few hours at the Omaha Zoo before heading home. CFCI provides all meals, lodging, and scheduling during the week and has a trained facilitator guide the group through each location we serve and debrief when we return to base. 

local area with sponsors, Angela Snakenberg, Sara Brenneman, and Mike Severino-Patterson

Students will be exploring local nonprofits and small businesses to see what kind of work they are doing to positively impact their community. In addition to hearing about their work, students will also volunteer their time. Opportunities might include working with children at a daycare, yard clean up for local senior citizens, working at local food pantries and volunteering at a pet shelter.