Spring Break
Alternative Spring Break offers student volunteer vacations
Erin Smith
Issue date: 3/3/09 Section: Special Sections
CSU students participating in Alternative Break programs this year will visit locations across the globe and across the country during their spring break to volunteer and work with communities in need.
"You could do a lot of things over your spring break," said Jen Johnson, the assistant director of Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement. "This is just a really great thing to do."
Johnson said Alternative Break sends students to various places around the world as an opportunity to learn from communities different from their own. Students enrolled in the program through SLiCE chose from ten trips this spring break, including destinations such as Panama, New Orleans, Washington D.C. and Florida.
CSU students will also be participating in a service-learning trip to Ecuador, organized by The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT).
Clayton Hurd, the director of the service-learning program in TILT, said that the trip differs from those offered through SLiCE in that students will be traveling the entire country of Ecuador and learning about social and environmental justice efforts both internationally and at home.
"Students will get a good understanding of social efforts and how we can partner with these communities … how we can create a relationship of solidarity, and how we can help them," Hurd said.
Jeff Garkow, a site leader for the Panama trip, said that to participate in Alternative Break, students need to commit to attend all meetings, fill out an application and undergo an interview with the site leaders of their trip.
"It's an amazing way to work with great people," said Kate Quillin, Alternative Break coordinator.
Quillin, a senior double major in sociology and social work, said that SLiCE is trying to expand the program by offering more trips and more options like the trip to Kanab, Utah, where students will volunteer with the Best Friends Animal Society, the nation's largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals.
"You could do a lot of things over your spring break," said Jen Johnson, the assistant director of Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement. "This is just a really great thing to do."
Johnson said Alternative Break sends students to various places around the world as an opportunity to learn from communities different from their own. Students enrolled in the program through SLiCE chose from ten trips this spring break, including destinations such as Panama, New Orleans, Washington D.C. and Florida.
CSU students will also be participating in a service-learning trip to Ecuador, organized by The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT).
Clayton Hurd, the director of the service-learning program in TILT, said that the trip differs from those offered through SLiCE in that students will be traveling the entire country of Ecuador and learning about social and environmental justice efforts both internationally and at home.
"Students will get a good understanding of social efforts and how we can partner with these communities … how we can create a relationship of solidarity, and how we can help them," Hurd said.
Jeff Garkow, a site leader for the Panama trip, said that to participate in Alternative Break, students need to commit to attend all meetings, fill out an application and undergo an interview with the site leaders of their trip.
"It's an amazing way to work with great people," said Kate Quillin, Alternative Break coordinator.
Quillin, a senior double major in sociology and social work, said that SLiCE is trying to expand the program by offering more trips and more options like the trip to Kanab, Utah, where students will volunteer with the Best Friends Animal Society, the nation's largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals.
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