Alternative Break program hits the Gulf Coast
The Alternative Break program at the University of Kansas strives to better the community while bettering students. The program is composed of three break options: winter, spring, and weekend trips. Each break offers students the change to make a difference in the lives of others nation-wide while benefiting themselves.
Students participating in the spring break trips had to complete an application and interview process. Students are asked to pick their top three locations to help out of a list of ten trips.
A year and a half after hurricane Katrina the directors of the Alternative Breaks program are eager to send students to Louisiana in continued hurricane relief.
“Last year it was such an unstable environment that sending students would have been too dangerous.” Ashley Bloom, Alternative Break co-director said.
In addition to danger in the hurricane ravaged area, the program makes final decisions in the beginning of October as to where sites will be located for the spring, a full five months ahead of time. The time difference made it difficult to predict if help would still be needed or if the area affected by the hurricane would be stable.
James DiGiuseppe, spring break co-director said the trip to Louisiana was something he knew he wanted to make possible when he took over his position this year.
DiGiuseppe searched the internet for service projects that had sites in the area damaged by Katrina. He happened Emergency Communities upon , an organization providing relief in the Gulf area. After corresponding with Katherine Pangaro, Emergency Communities volunteer coordinator the trip was settled for Buras, La.
Buras, which DiGiuseppe said, mainly runs out of a YMCA. Approximately two hours from New Orleans, Buras needs to be rebuilt.
Emergency Communities runs a soup kitchen serving around 300 meals a day. The organization provides showers, laundry, and port-a-potties, Pangaro said.
“The students on the trip will be doing a number of things, running the soup kitchen, recycling, and some manual labor like rebuilding homes and businesses.” DiGiuseppe said.
The Alternative Breaks program places students’ safety as a top priority. Emergency Communities assures the largest health concern is the possibility of airborne mold and particulate matter causing respiratory problems for students with asthma.
Students attending the weeklong trip to Buras expect to leave Saturday March 17 and return the following Saturday.
Students benefit from the program just as much as the communities they help. Students can choose to receive honors credit for participating in the program. An option of a one or two credit class is given to students. Those students that would not like to receive credit for various reasons may still participate in the course.
“If a student chooses not to participate for credit, they are still required to do the same work as students that are taking credit.” Katie Jahnke, Alternative Break co-director said.
The program, while focused on helping the community also takes on a classroom setting. Students are asked to attend every class, participate in discussions, and complete assignments such as a short paper.
The spring break trip to Buras isn’t the only change to the Alternative Breaks program.
The classroom has been revamped from previous years. Previously the class was mostly student led. Now, however, the class brings in professors and other experts to speak to students about their current area of study, Bloom explained.
“Through the new lecturers students know about issues before they go on their trip,” Jahnke said.
Bloom and Jahnke agreed the classroom setting needed to be stepped up from previous years, as a way to make students more aware of the issues surrounding their trip. This year is the second for the new policies in the program.
“It’s a more in-depth, more meaningful settings, where students have the opportunity to understand exactly what they are doing.” Bloom said of the new class meetings.
The cost for participating in the program can range from $10 for the first weekend trip to $225 for a winter or spring trip. If a student opts to take a credit option they are required to pay tuition costs. An undergraduate student from Kansas can expect to spend $183.75 per credit hour, where as an out-of-state undergraduate would spend $482.75 per credit hour, according to the University’s Web site.
In addition to receiving credit for the course a person can now become certified. The Alternative Breaks program now works closely with the Universities Center for Service Learning.
The Center for Service Learning certifies students once they have completed the required course work. Required coursework includes a portfolio of the students understanding of the four main components of the service learning certification; class experience, independent project, directed readings, and reflection.
“The Center just opened last year. We certified 91 students last year. Our goal this year is to certify 150 students.” Meghan Walsh, Center for Service Learning AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer.
Certification and service work sets students apart from their peers, Bloom said.
“The changes, as far as sites and our partnership with the Center for Service Learning have benefits for the program and the students participating.” Jahnke said
The Alternative Breaks program directors remain busy with winter break trips quickly approaching and spring break trip interviews being conducted. On Jan. 1 the program also plans to release a list of its spring weekend trips.