Students Make a Difference Through Alternative Spring Break

Written by Janet Pavese [2006]
Edited by Nicki Anselmo [2008]

ASB Quick Facts
• Founded: 1989
• Affiliations: Break Away (nationally), University YMCA (locally)
• Trips Sent during the 2007-2008 School Year: 32
• Hours of Service in the 2007-2008 School Year: 15,927
• Participants Last Year: Over 400
• Average Group Size: 12-13 participants
• Typical Cost: $275, $225 for over-21 driver
• Housing: Typically on site, some stay in hostels or churches

Alternative Spring Break was founded in 1989 by a group of University of Illinois students wanting to assist Central American refugees in Brownsville, Texas. Maria Somma, then program director of the University YMCA, organized the trip along with 22 volunteers. In 1990, ASB expanded the program with three trips: a return trip to the Rio Grande Valley, a trip to Harlem assisting with Hunger and Homelessness, and a trip to South Dakota learning about Native American cultures. Since then, ASB has expanded to twenty-five to thirty trips per year through fall, winter, spring, and summer breaks, making University of Illinois's ASB the largest completely student-run alternative break program in the nation. ASB's social justice issues include Urban and Rural Poverty, Wildlife Conservation, Hurricane Relief, HIV/AIDS, Environmental, and much more. Participants can travel as close as Goshen, ID, or as far as Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, or Florida City, FL. Throughout the years, ASB's objective has remained the same: to increase awareness about social justice issues within the United States and Champaign-Urbana community, hoping to fuel a life-long commitment to service by creating a safe, fun, and educational alternative to traditional spring breaks.

Brad Vonck remembers looking for a way to get involved as a freshman when he found a website with a list of registered student organizations. "On that list, was Alternative Spring Break, or ASB. I went to an Info Night in November, and I will never forget it. I sat there, and listened to these students enthusiastically talk about how much they love this organization, and I was amazed. The passion that they embodied was exactly what I was looking for in my life. I wanted to be a part of something that was bigger than any one person. I wanted to be a part of something where my peers shared similar values as I did. I wanted to be a part of something that improved the lives of everyone, both those we touched and our own lives as well. In one hour of time, ASB seemed exactly the type of organization I should go after." Brad ended up going "after" ASB to the full extent by participating on two ASB trips during his first year on campus, a winter trip to Dupree, SD and a summer trip to Horse Cave, KY.

In order to be placed on a trip, all applicants fill out an application with three essay questions, and rank their trips in order they would like to be placed. Though not all applicants can receive their first choice, most participants receive one of their top three. Once placed on their trips, participants help their group coordinate a fundraiser to raise $200, which is donated to their site. They participate in a pre- and post-break service project, which helps tie the social justice issue back to the Champaign-Urbana community. These projects can be educational or service related, from hearing lectures by the Native American House and various University of Illinois faculty, to clean-ups on the Sangamon River, to afternoon projects with organizations such as Eastern Illinois Foodbank, East Central Illinois Refugee Center, and Greater Community AIDS Project. Participants also attend a "coffee-talk" where two trips with different issues come together to share information and discuss the social justice issues. These aspects make ASB stand out from other organizations; trips do not only provide service, but also a strong educational component for their members. "ASB is the chance for students to educate themselves on real world issues outside of the classroom," emphasizes Michael Stephens, "ASB provides a hands-on learning experience for participants by facilitating activities before, during, and after trips. Students are able to provide an immediate impact on the organizations they volunteer with during their trips. ASB serves to educate students and to empower them to take action and make a difference in their own communities."

Nicki Anselmo recalls the experience of her first trip to Pascagoula, Mississippi to aid in Hurricane Katrina Relief. "I remember driving along the Gulf Coast in shock by the amount of work still left to be done in this area. Two years after the storm there were still bedsheets and clothes tangled amongst the trees, abandoned houses with blown out windows and seemingly endless work to still be done. Although my group and I were only there for a week, we were able to contribute our energy and enthusiasm and make tangible progress in helping with the recovery efforts. I was able to hear first hand accounts of what it was like to prepare as the hurricane rolled in and how this community had dealt with the aftermath. I built relationships with the families we were helping, the staff members of the organization we were working with and the other University of Illinois students who had previously been strangers to me. It was inspiring to meet other college students with whom I shared similar values, even though we differed in major, age, race and hometown. My trip to Mississippi afforded me information that I couldn't find by reading articles or books about Hurricane Katrina and the friends I gained through the trip we're students I would have never met otherwise. ASB is not only about the week-long trip. Through the prebreak activities, my group members gained a solid foundational background and were actively engaged in our issue before we departed. We were encouraged to act on what we learned when we returned back to school in order to educate and serve the rest of the Champaign-Urbana community. It was by far the best way I could have spent my spring break."

Alternative Spring Break is open to all University of Illinois students, faculty, and staff. Applications are available approximately 3-4 months prior to the trips; Spring applications will be released in early November. For more information on ASB, feel free to visit our website, www.illinoisasb.org, email us at illinoisasb@illinoisasb.org, or stop by and see us in our office at the University YMCA on Wright Street.

Winter trip participants work together to help organize a warehouse for Bryan's House is Dallas, TX, which serves as a medically-managed day care center.

A fall ASB participant laughs with a child at Operation Breakthough in Kansas City, MO.

Two fall break volunteers construct a fence as part of the sustainable garden project in Memphis, TN through the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center.

Spring Break gets a new fashion standard after these participants require full protective covering to remove invasive species from Lake Metroparks in Ohio.