EUGENE,
Ore. -- (March 17, 2011) - While many college students view spring break as a
chance to kick back and relax, dozens of University of Oregon students are
using the week to learn and lend a hand.
The
UO's Alternative Break program facilitates immersion-based
experiences to give students first-hand accounts of civic service, social
change and cultural understanding. Started at the UO in 2007 by a group
of university students, the program has doubled in size every year with a total
of 126 students on eight trips this spring break in the Northwest, West Coast, Louisiana and the
developing world.
The
program is coordinated by the UO's Service
Learning Program, a partnership between the Holden Leadership Center and
the College
of Education's Family and Human Services department.
"Student interest is very high and for many
students who aren't able to study abroad for longer periods of time this is an
opportunity to gain meaningful life experiences during a break in the academic
schedule," said Morgan St. Jean, Service Learning Program coordinator.
To
participate, students must apply and are responsible for the costs associated
with the trip. Once selected, participants
are responsible for a pre-trip curriculum of meetings, and
education about the social issues and locations they will explore.
This
year marks the first time Alternative Breaks will travel internationally. A
group of 19 UO students will travel to the Dominican Republic and work with Orphanage
Outreach, an
aid organization, to examine the issue of youth and public health
education. The team will provide daily public
health education in local schools and rural communities, covering topics such
as nutrition and hygiene.
In Jamaica, 19 students will
explore the country's juxtaposition of tourism against stark poverty. Students will teach and participate in hands-on
repair work with local school and youth programs.
"Preparing
students as citizens of the world is an important responsibility and the best
lessons need to be experienced firsthand," said John Duncan, director of the
Holden Leadership Center. "As we looked beyond the U.S., the issues in the
Dominican Republic and Jamaica were good fits for our aspirations to expand the
service learning opportunities."
Next
winter marks the inaugural extended Alternative Winter Break to India.
Beyond
the West Coast for the first time, a group of 18 UO students will visit New
Orleans to work on projects including building and repairs in the Lower 9th
Ward and mentoring youth affected by natural disasters.
Closer
to home, a dozen UO students will focus
on rural poverty in Oregon, specifically related to Native American rights and
sovereignty. Centered in Chiloquin and
surrounding areas, the students, in partnership with the Klamath tribes, will volunteer for youth
services, food banks and other non-profit organizations to learn directly from
community members and non-profit workers about the issues they face.
Setting
institutional rivalry aside, 11 UO students and four Oregon State University
students will explore sustainability
and energy conservation in Portland, Yakima and Seattle. The group will
volunteer at a sustainable farm, recycling center, food bank and soup kitchen,
as well as improve trails and visit the Hanford Nuclear Waste site.
Three
groups are heading to California to repeat previous projects. In San Diego, a group of students will assist Border
Angels, a nonprofit dedicated to human rights; and Casa
Familiar, a widely recognized authority on the
challenges of border communities.
In South Central Los Angeles, a group of 16 will mentor children and teens at
after-school programs and youth centers. They will also engage with city
officials, non-profits, and community members about addressing issues around
education and at-risk youth on a larger scale.
In
San Francisco, students will be in the heart of the Tenderloin District, the
60-block area with the highest concentration in the city for individuals who
are homeless or living in poverty. The UO group will assist service
organizations including Project
Open Hands,
Glide and Compass, to do
volunteer work to
help impoverished and homeless communities in the area.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is among the
108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for top-tier designation
of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification
of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific
Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.
MEDIA
CONTACT: Julie
Brown, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu
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