ASB: Alternative Spring Break
Mission
The mission of the University of Michigan's Alternative Spring Break program is to challenge students to:
- learn about and critically examine interlinking issues such as homelessness, poverty, hunger, violence, environmental degradation, and marginalization of social groups;
- take thoughtful, meaningful action towards the resolution of these social problems;
- listen to and understand community needs, recognize community strengths, and work with community members/agencies in a reciprocal relationship while gaining experience in community based problem solving; and
- continue a commitment to community service and social change while building new friendships and alliances.
Program Description
The University of Michigan's Alternative Spring Break is a SERVE-sponsored program that offers a community service learning experience during the traditional Spring Break of the academic calendar. Students spend the year learning about the culture and history of a particular area, community, or issue. During spring break, groups travel to a selected site to engage in meaningful action towards a greater understanding of root causes of relevant issues. Students participate in critical reflection and analysis of social justice issues they experience first-hand.
The program is dedicated to providing break opportunities to as many students as possible, while striving to increase community impact and student learning and aiming to help address societal problems with understanding and compassion. Critical elements of this process are recognizing community needs and assets while working in partnership with community members. Equally important is translating the experience into an understanding of the complexity and interconnectedness of social problems and making a commitment to being part of the long-term solution.
Past and present ASB sites have included delivering meals to AIDS patients in New York City, repairing homes damaged in natural disasters, engaging with urban youth in Chicago, working with the Sioux nation in South Dakota, learning about sustainable agriculture in Texas, and a community non-violence program in Detroit.
History
Read about ASB's History here.
How You Can Make A Difference
Programs at the Ginsberg Center, such as SERVE's Alternative Spring Break, need private sources of funding to sustain and grow our work. The reasons for giving are clear: to assist U-M faculty and schools in developing new service-learning courses, to provide U-M students with opportunities to pursue their community service and leadership interests, and to bring U-M students and faculty and communities together to work on solving community-identified problems.
The University of Michigan, major donors, nonprofit and government agencies, local community and national foundations, annual fund donors and program alumni together help sustain the work of the Ginsberg Center. We are grateful for their generous support; our future depends on them and on finding new supporters of our work. To make a difference, we need your help.
The Development Office promotes the mission of the Ginsberg Center at the University of Michigan. Gifts to the Ginsberg Center enhance the Ginsberg Center's programs and initiatives, and assist in fostering local, national and international community service learning opportunities.
If you would like to make a gift to the Ginsberg Center, to support the work of Alternative Spring Break in general, or to make a gift to a specific ASB site, please click on the link below.
MAKE AN ONLINE DONATION TO ASB:
http://www.giving.umich.edu/give/dsa-serve
