Instead of hitting the beach for vacation, some students hit the streets during school breaks to give back and impact communities in a positive way.
Originally founded under Impact, Alternative Student Breaks is pushing to be its own student organization recognized by the Student Government Association.
ASB, which belongs to the national alternative breaks organization Break Away, began in spring 2008 to offer students the opportunity to participate in community service projects during academic breaks.
The alternative break movement began at Vanderbilt University in 1996, said ASB adviser Tim King, and Vanderbilt's group does between 30 and 40 alternative breaks each year.
"In 10 years, I would love to see us doing that many trips each year," King said.
Trip locations are usually centered on one issue, such as affordable housing construction or community development, said Hamp Price, senior in biomedical sciences and ASB director.
"We have site leaders for each trip, and they are the ones who are planning it," Price said. "We've sort of trained them to find an issue that they are passionate about and plan the trip based on that issue."
ASB has four trips planned over winter break and five planned for spring break.
"The other trip that we have in January is during Martin Luther King weekend," said Kylie Hastings, junior in mathematics education and assistant director of publicity. "They're going to be working with homelessness and urban poverty issues in Atlanta."
Price said his interest in ASB began when he heard about the organization through friends while he was an Impact project coordinator.
"After participating in ASB one year, I knew I'd be interested in participating again, and so I said I would lead a trip," Price said.
In an effort to increase awareness about ASB, Price said he and other students involved in the program have been trying to publicize the organization more.
Along with local trips, ASB also travels abroad for service projects.
"Our three international locations are Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Ecuador right now," Price said. "Our Ecuador trip is in the winter."
Hastings said students traveling to Ecuador will be working on community development and building a church in the area.
Price said one of his favorite memories while on an ASB trip was when his group was involved in a slight fender-bender in Costa Rica.
"We had to wait for help on the side of the road for two hours," Price said. "But everyone was so positive and content to be sitting there instead of hiking to a waterfall or playing with kids or building a house."
Price said that was when he saw what a great group of people he was with and how much he loved ASB.
"You come together, for the most part, as complete strangers, but then you become really close in the common goal of service," Price said. "I've met some of my best friends through this program."
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