Spring Break 2019 Plans
Though this semester has just begun, one thing that is on my radar already is spring break. While there are a couple months between me and break, it is definitely something I’m already looking forward to, as I am a site leader for Vanderbilt’s Alternative Spring Break program this year.
What is Alternative Spring Break, or ASB? The program exists on college campuses worldwide, and is an opportunity for college students to engage in meaningful service during their spring break. Alongside service during the break, participants in ASB meet throughout the months leading up to their trip in order to learn about the underlying issues surrounding the cause their service addresses, and participate in a re-orientation program upon returning from spring break to ensure that they can use the lessons they learned on their trip to become active citizens in their community for years to come.
Last year, I participated in ASB, where I went to Glen Canyon, Arizona, to participate in environmental service and learn about the complex number of issues that intersect with environmentalism in the region. Because of how life-changing my experience was, I wanted to lead a trip this year in order to continue exploring service and the ways in which major issues exist as the culmination of a variety of causes. The trip I am leading this year, along with two other amazing site leaders, is to Harvest Farm in Wellington, Colorado, an organization that houses men dealing with substance abuse and, in many cases, homelessness. While on Harvest Farm, we will be participating in service as well as learning about the men who live there and how substance abuse and homelessness has affected them. I am truly looking forward to this experience and all of the learning it will afford the members of our trip.
Stay tuned for updates on how my spring break in Colorado went! Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions regarding life at Vanderbilt, feel free to contact me at alex.rains@vanderbilt.edu.