The deadline for all spring break alternative trip applications is Nov. 7 at 5 p.m., but if all spots are not filled for a trip, the deadline may be extended, said Dwyer Freeman, an assistant team leader for the CSL. If more students apply than there is available space for, applicants will be interviewed and then selected.
Phillip Burns, coordinator for volunteer management for the CSL, said students will take part in different types of community service, depending on which trip they take. He said work done on previous trips varied from building libraries to working at a child development center.
“For our trips, we are most concerned with how we can help them and how we can better the community to make it more sustainable,” Burns said.
Burns said he believes students come away with two things, hope and optimism, after partaking in one of the trips. Some students may witness things they have never seen before, he said, and it gives them hope for something better and the inspiration to work toward it.
Freeman said she went on her first alternative trip to Selma last fall and changed her entire career path upon return. She said the trip provided a challenge in understanding the concepts of race and privilege for her.
“It awoke a passion in me,” she said.
Freeman said although going on these trips often involves a lot of sacrifice, sacrifice can often put things into perspective for students.
The domestic trips available are to Orlando, Florida, where students will work with Give Kids the World; to Guin, Alabama, where students will work with Habitat for Humanity; and to New Orleans, where the organization involved has yet to be determined.
The international trips available are to Nicaragua, where students will work with Panorama Service Expeditions, and to Peru, where students will work with The Fuller Foundation.
“I would encourage anyone who wants to see another culture and make a difference because it is so much fun to go out with people you hardly know to a place you hardly know and just learn,” said Katie Thill, a freshman majoring in business management and marketing, who attended the Selma trip over fall break.
Prices vary for each trip. Applications and more information for each specific trip can be found at volunteer.ua.edu/alternative.cfm.
