~ Expand Your World on Wednesday Nights!
HI-USA – ENEC presents a new film and discussion series designed to capture the impact of travel through thought-provoking, relevant cinema.   Join us monthly to explore other cultures, gain insight, and expand your understanding of the world.

Weds Feb. 15 – Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion
Tues Mar 14 – Lost Boys of Sudan
Weds Apr 19 – Paper Clips
Weds May 17 – Promises
Weds June 14 – The Motorcycle Diaries

 -FIELDTRIP
TO
TURKEY

• Alternative Spring Break Programs can be found in Boston, or if you really have your heart set on going to Florida, the Everglades. These two hostels organize students to perform short-term projects for community agencies, addressing such issues as poverty, racism, hunger, homelessness and the environment. In Boston, you might work with Community Servings, an organization dedicated to providing food to people living with AIDS, and/or Rosie's Place, which offers support to homeless women, among others. In the Everglades, you might be helping to clean up turtle nesting grounds, or work at a Wildlife Refuge. They tailor your program to the group's specific interests to help you create a potentially life-changing experience that will help develop social awareness and activism.
  
  
  
• Stay in Touch with Travel. HI-USA, ENEC works with the Citizen Schools after school program to provide cultural education for local middle school students.  Citizen Schools is a national education initiative that mobilizes adult volunteers to help improve student achievement by teaching skill-building apprenticeships after school.  
  We are seeking volunteers who have travel experience and a desire to share the cross-cultural lessons they have learned with youth.  The commitment involves a morning of training, a curriculum development session, and 11 after school sessions (once a week, any day except Friday).  Host school sites are located in greater Boston, and most are T accessible.  For more information, please call Nicholas Young at 617.718.7990 x17 or e-mail.  Volunteer trainings take place in late January and early February.
  


• Celebrate the Dog! One of the largest holiday celebrations worldwide, Chinese New Year 4704, is the "Year of the Dog". Steeped in tradition, Chinese New Year is historically a time for friends and family to come together and feast on dishes with cultural significance. On February 5^th, Boston's Chinatown will kick off the ceremony with the Annual Lion's Dance Parade at 11:00am at Philips Square, on Harrison and Essex Streets. The parade meanders through Chinatown casting best wishes to everyone and local businesses.
  

A bit farther away... Bonjour Quebec! One of my personal quick getaways because the food is deliciously french, accommodations cheap, and there is always something going on. This winter, don't miss the Quebec Winter Carnival, January 27 to February 12.
This is said to be the largest winter carnival in the world, with a snow bath, night parades, slide runs, giant foot ball game, ice fishing, concerts, snow sculptures, horse-drawn sleigh and dogsled rides, Ice Tower and skating, all centered in wonderfully european Old Quebec. The Hostel happens to have great deals going on right now, $65 for 4 nights including breakfast, or $64/night for a private room with bath for two people.