Alternative Breaks at Longwood University is a student run, service oriented organization that allows students to see new places, help people and reflect upon their knowledge that they had encountered. These trips take place throughout winter break and or spring break. Some of the past trips the organization has taken were the Grand Canyon National Park, Saguaro National Park and Atlanta.
President of Alternative Breaks Samantha Kese and vice president Josh Darst are leading the Death Valley National Park trip in Jan. 2017 together. They will have 12 participants total to take and they will be helping to clean the park and help where their service is needed.
“On average, when you go to a national park you are going to be removing species that shouldn’t be there (like weeds).The other thing we will be doing specific at this national park is we are going to be making adobe bricks; historically accurate ones to help restore the different areas they have there” said Darst.
This is Darst’s first time helping to lead a trip and what influenced him to become a trip leader and vice president was when he went on the Saguaro National Park trip last winter break.
“I had never gone camping before and I thought this would be a really cool opportunity and I was really interested in the service aspect,” said Darst.
Saguaro National Park was Kese’s first trip to help lead, however she also went on the Grand Canyon trip, which motivated her to become part of the organization.
“The service is what really influenced me, I remember seeing the Grand Canyon posters and seeing that it was at the Grand Canyon and thought it was really cool and (being able to do) service at the Grand Canyon was even better,” said Kese.
On average, participants will receive a range of 30-40 hours of community service on these trips which are hours they can use to help fulfill their community service hour goals in other organizations.
“We are really excited about it (the trip),” said Kese and Darst.
Trip leader Melanie Books is leading, “RE-Envisioning Our Lands: The Intersectionality of Racial and Environmental Justice” in New Orleans during spring break 2017. The application deadline for this trip is Nov. 11 and has nine participants so far.
“I love service and sharing my love for service with others has been really rewarding,” said Books.
Books has been on two trips to the Grand Canyon with Alternative Breaks, one where she was a participant and one where she helped to lead the trip.
“It was great working with the park and I think it will be cool to have a new experience this spring break,” said Books.
The third trip that Alternative Breaks has planned is, “An Influential Dedication to Service” in St. Louis, MI which will be during spring break. The application deadline for this trip is also Nov. 11 and they can take up to 11 participants.
Trip leader Emily Clark said, “I have only been on one other break which was food justice in Atlanta. When we were there we got to work with a lot of community partners and the local food bank.”
Clark was asked by Longwood to become a trip leader and was recommended by previous trip leaders to gain her position as one of the trip leaders on this trip.
“I didn’t hesitate when they asked,” said Clark.
If one is interested in traveling and taking part in helping to improve a community, the application and information to attend one of these trips can be found at longwood.edu/leadership/service-learning-programs/alternative-breaks.
