7 Days of Blogging: Alternative Spring Break
While next semester is still relatively far away, one of the things I’m most excited about when it comes to sophomore year is spring break! Last year, I went home for spring break, which was a much needed period of relaxation, but this year I wanted to take the plunge and try something new for break. So, between wanting to try something new for spring break and my hope of pursuing more service, I decided to apply for Alternative Spring Break.
Alternative Spring Break, or ASB, is a program that was founded at Vanderbilt but that has since branched out to many other schools and inspired programs such as Alternative Winter Break. This program promotes active service at locations throughout the United States with an emphasis on education and reflection. This year, my trip will be going to Glen Canyon, Arizona to help the National Park Service to protect and beautify the park by removing invasive species and restoring native ones.
Though my trip pertains to environmental work, there are a number of subjects students interested in ASB have the chance to explore, including Homelessness and Poverty, Children and Education, and Health and Wellness. These trips have been crafted by the ASBoard, composed of Vanderbilt students, and are planned with intentionality and conscientiousness in mind. They are meant to create sustainable change both for the sites they visit and in the minds of students who attend the trips. I am so excited to be a part of this unique learning opportunity this year, and can’t wait to see what our group can accomplish together.
While Alternative Spring Break is an awesome way to complete service while at Vanderbilt, there are so many other service opportunities that our school offers, and I would compel anyone who is interested to look into all the available options for giving back.