WSU Students Spend Spring Break Serving Community
OGDEN, Utah – Sixty-four Weber State University students are choosing to spend Spring Break, the first week of March, volunteering in communities around the country and the world. Groups are headed to North Carolina, New Orleans, Washington, D.C. and the Dominican Republic.
Alternative Spring Break trips, hosted by the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), give students a chance to spend a week immersed in service work. Participants will connect with nonprofit organizations during the trips to serve in meaningful and efficient ways.
Kylee Treseder attended Alternative Spring Break in Seattle in 2019 to work on issues of food insecurity and to help in a food pantry. This year, she’s the Alternative Spring Break student director, and she’s enthusiastic about what they will experience and accomplish.
“Alternative Spring Break is a special program that gives students an opportunity to engage in direct service throughout the world,” Treseder said. “These trips are an unforgettable experience and have changed my life in so many ways for the better. It opened my eyes to a broader perspective of social justice issues and a love for helping others.”
Eleven students are going to Dover, North Carolina, and will focus on disaster recovery from hurricanes Florence and Dorian. In partnership with the National Relief Network, volunteers plan to help rebuild homes and repair areas damaged by flooding to allow as many families as possible to get back into their homes.
In New Orleans, 15 students will focus on neighborhood revitalization projects. Volunteers will address issues such as hurricane-related housing damage, homelessness, neighborhood beautification and clearing debris.
Sixteen students are headed to Washington, D.C., to work with the Steinbruck Center. Through the Steinbruck Center, volunteers will be placed with different nonprofit organizations to focus on poverty and community research. The two groups will come together each night to share their experiences and reflections.
During the trip to the Dominican Republic, 17 students will work to improve health and resource assistance for local communities. Volunteers will collaborate with doctors and professionals to organize brigades to bring medical access directly to families in need.
CCEL offers Alternative Break trips during spring and fall. The generous support from nonprofit partners, as well as WSU faculty and staff who donate their time, contributes to the success of the trips. For more information, visit weber.edu/ccel/alternative-breaks-team
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Shaylee Stevens, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7948 • shayleestevens@weber.edu- Contact:
Jenny Frame, Center for Community Engaged Learning Alternative Spring Breaks adviser
801-626-6385 • jennyframe@weber.edu