ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK 2008
Alternative Spring Break Selection Process Update:
Applicants should be notified by the afternoon of Tuesday, October 23rd about their interview time slot. If you have not received an email by that time, please contact Brian at 2008asb@gmail.com
Interviews will take place Wednesday, October 24 – Tuesday, October 30
ASB Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by the middle of the next week (week of November 5th)
(*please note: changes to trip preferences will not be accepted after Friday, October 26th)
What is Alternative Spring Break?
The Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a week long, substance-free, community service-learning trip during the university's spring break. ASB participants travel in teams to different cities, engage in active service, and have the opportunity to gain new perspectives on social issues while meeting community needs, and learning about and building upon community assets.
History
ASB became a Community Service-Learning program at Maryland four years ago, sending three trips in its first year. In 2007, more than 120 students and 11 Staff Advisors participated in ASB trips. The teams traveled to Atlanta, Chicago, Kentucky, Florida Keys, New York, Prince George’s County, and Louisiana. Each trip focused on a specific theme including homelessness, hunger, rural poverty, HIV/AIDS, disaster relief, and adult literacy.
2008 Trips
This year, ASB will expand the locations and themes while continuing to enhance the partnerships that have been established in years past.
- Rural Poverty: Appalachia
- Homelessness: Atlanta, GA
- Youth Arts Education: Boston, MA
- Hunger/Immigration/Affordable Housing: Chicago, IL
- Environmental Restoration and Sustainability: Key West, FL
- Border Awareness: El Paso, TX
- Community Development: Lima, Peru
- Healthcare: Los Angeles, CA
- Poverty/Racism: New Orleans, LA
- HIV/AIDS: New York City, NY
- Native American Immersion: Oglala Lakota Reservation, Pine Ridge, SD
- The Justice System/Literacy: San Francisco, CA
- Exploring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Prince George’s County, MD
Application Process
Online applications will be available starting October 1st. Please take time when filling out your application as we read them thoroughly. Your application will help create a picture of you and your unique additions to the ASB experience. We appreciate your interest in ASB and look forward to learning more about you! Applications due by 5pm on Thursday, October 18th.
For more information, contact Mei -Yen Hui at (301) 405-0741 or meiyen@umd.edu.