Alternative Spring Break

What did you do over spring break? Maybe you relaxed little after a long quarter, or took a trip with some friends to the beach.  You know, the usual. What would you say if I told you there were opportunities to travel and make a difference in the world, all during spring break?

Serve Beyond Cincinnati (SBC), which was recently named student group of the year, takes annual service learning trips to various places around the world. This past spring break, groups of students went to El Salvador, Mexico, and New Orleans.

Last year, sophomore Biology major Lindsay Long went to Santa Maria, Guatemala through SBC, “I really like to travel and learn about different cultures. After experiencing what service learning trips are like in Guatemala, I definitely wanted to do it again.”

This year, Long was one of the trip leaders for the trip to San Luis Talpa, El Salvador. She explained, “As a trip leader, I organized the travel plans, helped set up fundraisers, and kept everyone informed. Doing things like fundraisers helps build a team concept that carries over during the trip.”

Along with co-leader, Lance Durbin, the two organized and set up everything to make it easier for the other students.

The El Salvador group consisted of thirteen students from several majors and standings. From freshman to seniors, College of Business to CCM, any UC student can get involved with SBC.

The group stayed in a house specifically designed for these types of service groups. The house is provided by the Fuller Center for Housing, a major advocate of organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

Every day, the group traveled half an hour to make it to the building site by 8 a.m.  During the day, they worked on building homes from scratch. At night, they spent time with locals, learning about their culture and customs. “One of the most rewarding parts was interacting with the young kids, and seeing that you made a difference to them,” said Long.  Before they left, the group collected t-shirts and school supplies to hand out to kids.

Overall, Lindsay felt that “it was a really powerful experience. We adapted really well with the situation. It was great to interact with the locals and see that we were helping them.”

Alternative spring breaks are becoming more popular all over the nation. They serve not only as a learning experience, but also as a life experience.

Written by Alejo Delgado, March 2009