The words “spring break” don’t necessarily have to evoke an image of sun-burned, drunken college students swerving their way from bar-to-bar across a sandy beach in Mexico or Florida. They also have the ability to produce an image of real-world change and positivity, if you go to the right place.

The University of Oregon’s Service Learning Program offers an opportunity to University undergraduate and graduate students called the Alternative Spring Break. This relatively new program was established at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. by an international non-profit organization called Break Away: The Alternative Break Connection. These programs are alcohol and drug-free service learning trips that feature direct service, diversity, issues of social justice, self-reflection and re-orientation on a national and international level.
These trips not only have lifelong impacts on their participants and the communities they serve, but also provide a strong educational component with a pre-trip curriculum. Leslie Prieto, the University’s Service Learning Program Director, said the difference between “service learning and community service is that there is this educational experience as well.”
Through the program’s pre-trip curriculum, students have the opportunity to discover new things about different people’s homes, cultures and backgrounds. “These trips provide a unique opportunity to hear people’s stories firsthand,” said Prieto. “It is a gift to be able to do this, and for the communities to welcome us into their world.”
Now in the program’s second year at the University, two trips are taking place this spring. The first is from March 21-28, and is traveling to the Tenderloin District in San Francisco, Calif. to work with and support organizations that help homeless people living with HIV/AIDS. In this group there are 15 student participants and four student leaders who will all be staying in a hostel.
The second trip is taking place from March 20-28 and is traveling to San Diego, Calif. to work with the Casa Familiar and Border Angels organizations that deal with human rights awareness, social justice, economic and immigration issues. This group is composed of 16 student participants and four student leaders who will be camping in a San Elijo campground.
These spring break adventures can do wonders for a student’s resume, and can help show that you are well-rounded, open to new experiences, a good volunteer and have a strong background in social justice issues.
This program is also a great way to have a fun, productive and safe spring break. It’s open to all University students regardless of age, gender, political views or sexual preferences. This means that you get to meet all the inspirational people in the communities you serve, as well as bond with a diverse group of people from our campus. An eye-opening opportunity, Alternative Spring Break can provide an educational way to transform your outlook on life while helping the people in the world around you.
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