A Break to Serve Others

Listen

It’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day, but we like to think our community encourages such acts each and every day.

Habitat for Humanity 2020
Students working with Habitat for Humanity

With that said, this day is a perfect opportunity to highlight some of the lesser known activities our students, staff, and faculty contribute to that fall into this category, including Babson service immersion trips.

This academic year alone, during the College’s winter break, a group of 10 Babson students traveled to Indian River, Florida, with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for five families in need.

And, as part of the Babson Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy (BELA), 18 students, faculty, staff, and alumni taught the College’s signature Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® methodology to more than 120 students and teachers in Tanzania—impacting a total of 14 communities.

Babson’s service immersion trips are designed to provide students with opportunities to engage in intensive service experiences with communities in need through reflective activities that promote civic engagement, leadership development, and an appreciation of diversity.

Babson Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy
Tanzanian students participating in Babson Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy

“These experiential learning opportunities help students develop a sense of personal identity and community, as well as an understanding of important societal issues, while helping others who are in need of assistance,” said Lisa Thomas, director of Service and Justice at Babson College. “Each trip provides the opportunity to meet new people, visit new places, and learn new skills. Service immersion can be very rewarding, and often, a life-changing experience.”

Posted in Community

More from Community »

Latest Stories

Babson Build students from HBCUs participate in an exercise in the Weissman Foundry
An Entrepreneurial Summer: How Babson Impacts Communities Year-Round The school year may be over, but Babson’s work of educating entrepreneurial leaders doesn’t stop. In the summer, many entrepreneurs, educators, and leaders descend on campus. They come from around the globe to connect and to learn. What they take away from the College can impact their companies, their classrooms, and their communities.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
August 29, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

Juan “JC” Grullon ’27 and Ty Bradford ’29 shake hands outside Publishers Hall
Publishers Hall Welcomes First-Year Students to Its Cozy Confines During move-in day, a new crop of first-year students made Publishers Hall their home. The small residence hall, built over a century ago, is known for the tight-knit communities that form there.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
August 28, 2025

Posted in Community

College mascot and family move in a new student to college.
Parents, Siblings, and New Students Come Together for Babson Move-In Day Families shared stories of packing, pride, and the promise of entrepreneurship as they helped the Class of 2029 settle into campus life.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
August 27, 2025

Posted in Community