Chug! Chug! Chug! The tasteless light beer snakes down the tube of the beer bong as your equally-intoxicated buddy holds it. If the endless cases of mass-produced lagers and sweaty clubs packed with wasted college students in Cancun, South Padre and Panama City do not sound appealing, you have plenty of alternatives. Many organizations allow you to volunteer and get involved in communities and support political issues during your spring break.
With the slogan “Party later, save the world now,” this organization has outlined choices to promote activism. According to a press release, “We are headed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina March 16 - 20, 2009 for five days of anti-death penalty activism, training, education and fun,” hosted by the organization People of Faith Against the Death Penalty. Participants must arrange their own travel and pay a $20 housing fee as well as register at their Web site.
Students will have the opportunity to hang out and meet new people in one of the nation’s premier college towns, Chapel Hill. This will mark the first time the event has been held outside of Austin, Tex.
“Participants will have plenty of free time to meet new friends,” said Hooman Hedayati, who took the trip as a senior in high school in 2005. “At the same time they’re having fun, they’re doing something positive by taking action on one of the major human rights issues of our time.”
United Way is an organization dedicated to providing leadership in the wake of community issues. According to the website, United Way focuses on “helping children and youth achieve their potential, promoting financial stability and independence, and improving people’s health.” This spring break, United Way concentrates on a few spots in the States: in Detroit, Mich., volunteers will provide assistance to impoverished families by “working to help families meet their basic needs, children be ready for school and families to be financially stable.”
In Indiana, volunteers will assist families whose homes were wrecked by floods in the Wabash Valley.
Volunteers in the coastal regions of Louisiana and Mississippi will help uplift communities damaged by the rash of hurricanes over the past few years.
United Way’s spring break stretches from February 28 to March 21. The program costs $150 plus transportation and housing.
This opportunity affords students the chance to make friends in unique American locales while helping families in need, such as victims of Hurricane Katrina.
This organization bridges the gap between U.S. volunteers and groups in Guatemala to provide opportunities for students to provide help in the Central American country. By serving as the liaison between the two countries, Encountour works as “a tour operator specializing in helping students to find accessible and meaningful volunteer work in Guatemala.”
Students will have the opportunity to assist in activities such as “building a home for an impoverished family, teaching neglected children or helping a local farming cooperative achieve self-sufficiency.” Volunteers will work during the day and then stay with a host family or hotel at night.
Volunteers must pay for their own plane tickets as well as an $800 fee that Encountour will use to cover the cost of medical insurance, housing, ground transportation and food.
The exotic location of Guatemala gives students an opportunity to brush up on Spanish and explore a culture different from their own. The cities of Antigua and Quetzaltenango offer plenty of nightlife as well as access to outdoor excursions.
The Student Conservation Association
By promoting a drug and alcohol free trip, this organization has planned a spring break in the Grand Canyon National Park. As part of an environmental service project, students “will set up camp at Mather Campground on the South Rim and spend their days hiking along some of the Canyon’s most beautiful trails while accomplishing important vegetation projects, as well as removing graffiti from some of the Park’s most important cultural sites.”
Students must provide their own transportation to the airport specified by the organization; however, students will receive a $300 travel stipend at the end of the trip. There are two sessions: Session 1 is from March 14 to March 21 while Session 2 is from March 22 to March 28.
This break is a perfect match for outdoor enthusiasts. Students will be working to improve one of the nation’s landmarks while taking in its beauty as an insider.
United Planet “strives to create a world in which all people understand, respect and support one another.” The group has set up “quests” to foster opportunities for volunteers to help in foreign countries. These quests include orphanage work in Romania, HIV/AIDS education in Tanzania and teaching in Nepal, among others.
The fees begin at $1,295, depending on the trip. This includes pre-departure training, airfare, food and housing. These trips can be taken at any time of the year.
Volunteers of this program will enjoy working in different locales around the world while absorbing new cultures. Depending on length of stays, students can a different language and work with native residents.
These are just a few ideas for alternative spring breaks. Individual colleges also have opportunities for non-traditional trips.
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