Leigh Loving
  • Genetics
  • Class of 2015
  • McPherson, KS

Leigh Loving volunteers with University of Kansas Alternative Spring Breaks program

2012 Mar 15

Over the 2012 spring break, 98 students from the University of Kansas are spending their spring break volunteering with different nonprofit organizations all over the country, including freshman Leigh Loving, Lawrence. Loving is volunteering with Rainbow Health Initiative, Minneapolis, Minn.

Alternative Breaks is a student-run organization that centers on service-learning trips that help foster a lifelong commitment to service. These trips give students the opportunity to participate in experiential learning situations with an emphasis on education and personal growth.

This spring, students will be working with 13 different nonprofit agencies in 10 different states. Students will be working with a variety of issues, including rebuilding homes for natural disaster victims, preserving natural habitats, encouraging children to lead healthy lifestyles, and assisting teachers who work as educators.

Katie Stites, a sophomore from Lawrence, and Natalie Scott, a sophomore from Topeka, are the Alternative Breaks Spring Co-Coordinators. Julia Barnard, a senior from Lawrence and Stephanie Jian, a senior from Lawrence, are the Co-Directors of Alternative Breaks. The Alternative Break faculty advisor is Sarah Crawford-Parker, and the instructor of record is Amanda Schwegler.

Following their admittance to the program, students attended weekly classes to prepare for their Alternative Spring Break sites. The classes provided more information about the role of a volunteer, how the nonprofit sector works, social justice issues, and the importance of diversity and cultural awareness.

The program was established at KU in 1995 with a spring break trip to El Paso, Texas. Since 1995, it has expanded to include fall, winter, summer and weekend breaks.

An Alternative Spring Break counts as one honors unit for the University Honors Program, and, if taken as a class, can count towards a service learning certification. The program costs participants $275 ($225 for site leaders) and covers their transportation, housing and meals.