Although booze, bros, and beaches may seem like three staples for a great American spring break, they don’t have to be. While many college students flock to the beaches of the Southern seaboard during their week off, others choose to use this time for a much different purpose.
An “alternative” spring break is an option for college students to spend their mid-semester break giving back philanthropically. And while collegiettes may find themselves pouring more bowls of soup than shots of tequila during an alternative break experience, students who take on this endeavor often find themselves leaving with a full heart versus a nasty hangover.
Check out HC’s guide to a few alternative spring break options below!
For the International Traveler: i to i Volunteering
While it’s certainly not bad to spend a week of your college career helping others, not taking a trip somewhere new during spring break can be a serious bummer for many college students. If this is your conundrum, odds are i to i Volunteering has what you’re looking for. i to i is an organization that specializes in international “voluntourism” trips, or ones that offer participants the opportunity to experience the culture and nightlife of their region along with the philanthropic tasks necessary to the trip. i to i offers a more laidback attitude toward alternative breaks. How cool would it be to spend your days learning to surf and saving sea turtles on the coast of Costa Rica? Or teaching classes in Kenya by day and checking out safaris and local cultural events at night? How about spending a week with Vietnamese children who have been displaced from their homes? i to I break options range from one-week to two-week projects, and cost anywhere from $800 to $1400 depending on trip location, excluding flight fare and visas.
For the Community Philanthropist: Habitat for Humanity
One thing almost all college students can provide is a set of hands to help in building back up a community. Programs like Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge coordinate student trips at an affordable rate for college students to take part in rebuilding efforts across the country. A group nationally recognized for its rebuilding efforts, Habitat for Humanity works through local affiliates to offer alternative spring breaks all over the country. Lindsey Swink, a senior at Salisbury University, volunteered with Habitat last spring. “My sorority helped to create a more compatible home for a blind couple living in the area,” she says. “Being able to create and restore homes for those who need it most is amazing.” Participants must pay $30 to register, and must pay the host site a fee, which ranges from $10 a person to $200 a person, so that they can purchase building materials. If you’re looking for a week filled with bonding, building, and working with fellow students and community locals, give Habitat a try—particularly if you’re a member of a group such as a sorority who wants to work together!
For the Environmentalist: The Student Conservation Association
If saving the Florida Everglades’ ecosystem sounds more appealing than prolonging your tan on Florida beaches, look no further than the Student Conservation Association’s Alternative Spring Break. With airfare and food provided within the program, the only things required for this break are a love of the outdoors and a willingness to rough it for a good cause. The program teams up with the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida to provide participants with an opportunity to work on projects that help prevent forest fires and inferior plant mitigation, along with a program in Santa Monica restoring forests within the area. With four-week programs provided, students are placed in groups of 30 and camp out on site locations for the week. Think this could be the spring break for you? Make sure to have your application sent in by the January 28th deadline!
For Something Closer to Home: Find a Program through Your School
Universities across the country offer alternative spring break programs, many of which are open to all majors. Schools such as the University of Maryland often offer programs on a more local level than a national organization would offer; Maryland has programs allowing participants to work in homeless shelters and soup kitchens within the Baltimore and DC areas. Arsh Raziuddin, a senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, worked in local Baltimore soup kitchens for her alternative spring break. “You end up getting so close to the people you’re working with that you don’t even think about what you’re not doing; all the focus during that week is placed on the here and now,” she says.
Collegiate alternative break programs range to fit a ton of interests. The University of Missouri’s program sends students to locations throughout the country to gain experience in areas such as AIDS research, urban poverty, and environmental issues. Georgetown University offers multiple alternative spring break options, which range from helping with disaster relief to fighting for poor workers’ rights. If you’re a student looking to make a local difference, consult your school’s Community Service Center ASAP about an alternative break that best fits your interests and financial situation.
With so many options at hand, it seems almost wasteful to spend this precious yet potentially very productive week simply lounging on the beach. Whether it is extra philanthropy hours you’re after or if you simply want to make a difference, an alternative break could be your best spring break yet. And remember, your career in philanthropy doesn’t have to end with spring break! Take a look at HC’s article on Six Cool Nonprofit Jobs You Might Not Know About to learn even more.