![NEWS ARTICLE FOR NABJ SHOWCASE<br />Countdown to Alternative Spring Break<br />By Naria S. Williams<br />The countdown to Spring Break begins the moment second semester kicks off. Strategic planning takes place as students prepare to pack-up and venture across the country to the hottest party cities. While many head to these “hot spots”, more and more students are finding satisfaction in Alternative Spring Breaks. Could you trade in a week long party for community service? Well, since 1994, over 1,500 UGA students have participated in Alternative Spring Break and traveled across the Southeast to participate in meaningful service projects that benefit the communities in which they work. <br />Alternative Spring Break is a service offered through The Center for Leadership & Service whose mission is to, “engage University of Georgia students in an affordable weeklong substance free experiential service learning project that encourages an understanding of pressing social issues in a significant way”. Everyone is eligible to get involved by visiting the Alternative Spring Break Office in Georgia Hall, Tate Student Center, or by calling 706.583.0830. Applications are accepted throughout fall semesters, but due to high demand, some students are placed on waiting lists as the deadlines approach. $140 (divided into one payment of $80 and a second payment of $60) covers all expenses. <br />Students sign up to perform short term projects for community agencies and to learn about issues such as poverty, racism, homelessness, healthcare, and the environment. Total immersion is the goal as students are asked to commit 40 hours of service work while living in the communities they are serving. <br /> “In Orlando, we helped the Orlando Day Nursery in Downtown Orlando [...]We really got the feel of living in poverty, and that's what I really enjoyed about it. The main premise of the trip was to help children who experience poverty everyday in their lives, and it was wonderful to experience it for the week!”said Wendell Scott, a sophomore at the University of Georgia.<br />When another participant was asked the impact this experience had, he answered: “This is a once in a lifetime experience that you should not pass up as a college student. .. And it is also a touch of the real world that we as college students don't get to see.”<br />UGA’s Alternative Spring Break program linked through the national non-profit organization Break Away whose mission is, “to train, assist and connect campuses and communities in promoting quality alternative break programs that inspire lifelong active citizenship.” According to Wikipedia, there has been a consistent increase in the number of colleges and universities with alternative break programs. This growth accelerated in the mid 2000's, and has been attributed to two factors: 1) the institutionalization of volunteer service as an integral part of the college experience, 2) the overwhelming interest in service work along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. <br />For more information, visit http://alternativebreaks.org/ or http://www.uga.edu/cls/asb/asbmission.htm<br />](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/asb-110328195514-phpapp02/85/Asb-1-320.jpg)
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- 1. NEWS ARTICLE FOR NABJ SHOWCASE<br />Countdown to Alternative Spring Break<br />By Naria S. Williams<br />The countdown to Spring Break begins the moment second semester kicks off. Strategic planning takes place as students prepare to pack-up and venture across the country to the hottest party cities. While many head to these “hot spots”, more and more students are finding satisfaction in Alternative Spring Breaks. Could you trade in a week long party for community service? Well, since 1994, over 1,500 UGA students have participated in Alternative Spring Break and traveled across the Southeast to participate in meaningful service projects that benefit the communities in which they work. <br />Alternative Spring Break is a service offered through The Center for Leadership & Service whose mission is to, “engage University of Georgia students in an affordable weeklong substance free experiential service learning project that encourages an understanding of pressing social issues in a significant way”. Everyone is eligible to get involved by visiting the Alternative Spring Break Office in Georgia Hall, Tate Student Center, or by calling 706.583.0830. Applications are accepted throughout fall semesters, but due to high demand, some students are placed on waiting lists as the deadlines approach. $140 (divided into one payment of $80 and a second payment of $60) covers all expenses. <br />Students sign up to perform short term projects for community agencies and to learn about issues such as poverty, racism, homelessness, healthcare, and the environment. Total immersion is the goal as students are asked to commit 40 hours of service work while living in the communities they are serving. <br /> “In Orlando, we helped the Orlando Day Nursery in Downtown Orlando [...]We really got the feel of living in poverty, and that's what I really enjoyed about it. The main premise of the trip was to help children who experience poverty everyday in their lives, and it was wonderful to experience it for the week!”said Wendell Scott, a sophomore at the University of Georgia.<br />When another participant was asked the impact this experience had, he answered: “This is a once in a lifetime experience that you should not pass up as a college student. .. And it is also a touch of the real world that we as college students don't get to see.”<br />UGA’s Alternative Spring Break program linked through the national non-profit organization Break Away whose mission is, “to train, assist and connect campuses and communities in promoting quality alternative break programs that inspire lifelong active citizenship.” According to Wikipedia, there has been a consistent increase in the number of colleges and universities with alternative break programs. This growth accelerated in the mid 2000's, and has been attributed to two factors: 1) the institutionalization of volunteer service as an integral part of the college experience, 2) the overwhelming interest in service work along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. <br />For more information, visit http://alternativebreaks.org/ or http://www.uga.edu/cls/asb/asbmission.htm<br />