Laker Life

Spring opportunities with Alternative Breaks

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1/20/2010

From March 6-14 - or April 3-11 for College of Education students - Alternative Breaks will offer several opportunities to assist communities with local issues.

Cost for a spring break trip is $275 for transportation, food and lodging.

Here are some of the issues covered on trips scheduled for spring break 2010.

Affordable Housing

Students work in conjunction with a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing in low-income areas. Students will construct new housing or deconstruct obsolete units while learning about the people who will benefit from the services.

Animal Habitat

Participants work with Peace River Refuge and Ranch at a wildlife refuge, building cages, cleaning buildings and landscaping. In the past, students on this trip have worked with exotic creatures such as tigers and spider monkeys.

Community Health

Students will provide high-risk populations with information on how to make safe life decisions. Through outreach, meal preparation and community clean-ups, Disaster Relief participants will learn about issues affecting inner cities.

Disaster Relief

Students will offer labor-intensive work - cleaning or rebuilding houses - in an area affected by hurricanes.

Domestic Violence

Providing maintenance and housekeeping, students will assist at a domestic violence shelter and learn from women housed in the shelter.

Health and AIDS

With the Food and Friends organization, students will package food and deliver meals to HIV-positive and AIDS patients. Participants will learn about how HIV/AIDS affects individuals and communities.

Individuals with Disabilities

With a nonprofit organization, participants will offer assistance in recreational activities to adults and youth with disabilities. Students will provide community outreach and contribute to sustainability efforts, while gaining insight into the challenges of living with a disabilities.

Path Creations

Moving boulders and digging, students will help create a segment of the Cumberland Trail in a national forest. Local experts will provide information about area history and progress made in preserving the forest. Students can also look forward to a hoe-down in their free time.

Refugee Resettlement

Students will learn about refugee resettlement while contributing cleaning and organizational efforts to a resettlement agency. Participants will also have opportunities to speak with refugees during a community activity.

River Restoration

With the Nature Conservancy organization, students will help prevent erosion by planting trees and shrubs and prevent pollution in a river stream. At a fish and mussel farm, participants will learn about how their conservancy efforts affect rivers.

Rural Culture

In a small, impoverished community, the relocation of a cotton mill left many community members out of work. To assist the locals, students will paint, clean and volunteer in schools.

Trails

Students will work on a section of trail in a state park. Previously, participants created a segment of path that allowed run-off to pass through rocks without damaging the trail.

Wildlife Refuge

Students work with a wildlife refuge to build nesting platforms, remove trash and clear trails. Rangers at the wildlife refuge will offer information about environmental issues.

Youth and Education

Students will work at an inner-city elementary school, working in individual classrooms and in after-school programs.

Youth and Poverty

Students work with a Head Start program, working in classrooms and local food pantries. The nonprofit organization will share information about the community.

Download an application for an alternative spring break trip at http://www.gvsualternativebreaks.com.

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