KU News Release

March 9, 2009
Contact: Ben Berning, Alternative Breaks, (913) 484-7995.

KU students to volunteer March 16-20 at seven Alternative Spring Breaks sites

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LAWRENCE — For some University of Kansas students, the March 16-20 spring break will be a chance to get away and goof off. For the 48 students going to Alternative Spring Breaks sites, it will mean giving back through volunteer efforts and perhaps altering their career paths after graduation.

Case in point: Ben Berning, a senior from Shawnee who has been Alternative Breaks co-director for the past four semesters. He went on his first Alternative Breaks trip in fall 2006 to Give Kids the World in Kissimmee, Fla., then became a site leader for the spring 2007 trip to Teach for America in Charlotte, N.C. When he graduates this spring with a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology, Berning plans to spend two years working for Teach for America as a high school biology teacher in inner-city Chicago.

KU students participating in Alternative Spring Breaks will work with agencies in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington, D.C. Students have volunteered at five of the seven sites before. Two new destinations will be the Autism Society of Colorado in Denver and the Philadelphia, Pa., locale for Teach for America.

KU’s Alternative Breaks program selects service-learning trips that offer students a unique opportunity to make volunteer efforts part of their educational experiences. The program costs participants $275 (or $225 for site leaders) and covers their transportation, housing and meals. Students selected for the program are required to attend the Special Projects in the Community course to prepare for their trips. Participation in Alternative Spring Breaks counts as one unit for the University Honors Program, which requires students who want to graduate with honors to complete one or two honors units outside the classroom.

Heidi Pierson, a senior from Clay Center, serves as Alternative Breaks co-director with Berning. Hannah Nusz, Kansas City, Kan., senior, and Alan Schurle, Manhattan senior, are the spring break site coordinators and selected the sites. Linda Luckey, assistant to the vice provost for academic affairs, and Rueben Perez, director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, are Alternative Breaks administrative advisers.

Alternative Breaks was established in 1995 at KU with a spring break trip to El Paso, Texas, and has expanded every year since. The program works in partnership with KU’s Center for Community Outreach, a student-run and student-funded organization that operates 15 volunteer programs and functions as a coordinating group for KU students interested in volunteer projects. The center’s projects, along with other student volunteer activities, have helped earn KU its third consecutive mention on the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Alternative Spring Breaks participants are listed below by hometown, major, level in school, destination and leadership role, parents’ names and high school.

Alternative Spring Breaks sites for 2009:

AIDS Foundation, Houston, Texas
AIDS Foundation Houston collaborates with other organizations to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS and to support those living with HIV/AIDS. Participants will be involved in many of the foundation’s support programs, including the soup kitchen and an educational outreach program.
Web site: www.aidshelp.com

Autism Society of Colorado, Denver, Colo.
The Autism Society of Colorado was founded in 1970 to fight for the right of students with autism to attend public schools, a goal it accomplished in 1975. The organization continues to advocate for policies to promote quality of life for people with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Participants will work with administrative, communications and event support activities.
Web site: www.autismcolorado.org

National Coalition for the Homeless, Washington, D.C.
Participants will work at homeless shelters and prepare and serve meals at various kitchens and may also help with other projects. Participants are required to take part in an urban plunge, a real-life immersion program involving living on the streets for 48 hours.
Web site: www.nationalhomeless.org

Newcomer Center, Arlington Heights, Ill.
The Newcomer Center is a school for high school students who have recently arrived in the United States, have limited knowledge of the English language and need to prepare for transition into their high schools. Participants will work in the classroom with high school students learning English. Web site: www.d214.org/schools/newcomercenter

No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes, Tucson, Ariz.
No More Deaths works within legal protocols to end death and suffering on the U.S.-Mexico border. The group’s goals include providing water, food and medical assistance to migrants walking through the Arizona desert, bringing the plight of migrants to public attention, establishing assistance and outreach camps and monitoring U.S. Border Patrol operations from its Tucson headquarters. KU students will work in support roles and might camp outdoors along the 75-mile route between Tucson and Sasabe, Sonora, Mexico.
Web site: www.nomoredeaths.org

Teach For America, Philadelphia, Pa.
Teach for America is the national corps of college graduates coming from all academic majors committed to teaching for two years in underresourced schools in urban and rural areas. Participants will shadow teachers on the Teach for America team, observing classroom dynamics and helping with classroom, extracurricular and community activities for students.
Web site: www.teachforamerica.org

TreeUtah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Since its founding in 1989, TreeUtah has planted more than 300,000 trees. The organization’s mission is to improve Utah’s quality of life by enhancing the environment for current and future generations. Volunteers can expect an educational overview about the environment and interaction with nature.
Web site: www.treeutah.org

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