As spring break nears, college students everywhere are gearing up for a week at the beach or a trip back home to see family. But for one group of Auburn students, spring break will look a bit different.
Alternative Student Breaks, or ASB, is an initiate that provides opportunities for students to serve in various communities across the country during school breaks. ASB travels domestically to partner with local organizations and charities to make a difference in communities all around the country. This spring, ASB will travel to Port St. Joe, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina.
“ASB is an opportunity for students to learn about social issues, develop a sense of responsibility to their communities and make a difference around the country,” said ASB Vice President of Communications Elise Fitzgerald.
ASB participants work directly with charities and organizations in each city to meet the unique needs of each place they visit. In Port St. Joe, students will advocate for environmental conservation, and in Charleston, ASB will partner with HEART, an organization providing mentorship and community in the arts for adults with disabilities. Previous ASB trips have traveled to Kissimmee, Florida, Nashville, Tennessee, and Chattanooga, Tennessee in recent years. These unique opportunities to serve are open to any Auburn student, regardless of age or major.
“Thanks to university funding, ASB is able to offer trips to participants completely cost-free in order to provide equal opportunities for all Auburn students,” Fitzgerald said. “In this way, the university promotes the importance of service and encourages students to get involved in organizations like ASB that are making a positive impact in the community.”
Even while still on campus, participants of ASB are working to make a positive change here at home. This year, ASB partnered with the Auburn Black Student Union, or BSU, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to create care packages for victims of the Selma, Alabama, tornados that occurred in January. ASB and BSU have a long-standing partnership and have collaborated on service projects for many years.
“The university encourages partnership with other organizations, such as Black Student Union, to identify service opportunities that align with both organizations’ goals,” Fitzgerald said.
Whether students are looking to get involved in the Auburn community or throughout the country, ASB has something meaningful to offer. Though registration for the upcoming ASB spring break trip is now closed, students are encouraged to keep ASB in mind during their college experience and consider participating in a future trip.
“Auburn students should consider ASB for their breaks because it is an opportunity to engage in service learning with like-minded individuals,” Fitzgerald said. “By participating in ASB, students gain an understanding of social issues across the country and learn to work collaboratively in new settings. This truly makes ASB an essential part of every student’s Auburn experience.”
For more information about ASB and its upcoming trips, visit the Alternative Student Breaks website or email asb@auburn.edu.
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