Five programs coordinated through Elon Volunteers! are connecting students to service opportunities from Central America and the Caribbean to Appalachia, South Carolina and the nation's capitol.
More than 50 students are taking part in alternative spring break programs organized through the Elon Volunteers! program of the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement. The five programs run from March 23 through March 30. They include the following:
Rural Poverty and Housing Restoration (Guyan Valley, WV): Students are volunteering with Appalachian Service Project to repair and restore homes in Central Appalachia.
Urban Poverty and Inequality (Washington, DC): Students are partnering with the Steinbruck Center to volunteer and visit with multiple organizations that are working to address systemic issues related to poverty and homelessness in an urban setting.
Youth Rehabilitation in the Criminal Justice System (Columbia, SC): Students are working with the South Carolina Juvenile Justice Department to mentor youth within the juvenile justice system. Volunteers are serving as classroom aides and participating in recreational activities, while gaining a deeper understanding of issues connected with the criminal justice system.
Community Development (Los Lagos, Costa Rica): Students are partnering with Cultural Connections and Volunteers to support multiple projects. The primary focus of this experience is to help a local community build stoves and floors in their homes. Participants will also have the opportunity to volunteer at a local school and visit with coffee farmers who run a local coffee co-op.
Rural Education (Treasure Beach, Jamaica): Students are partnering with Volunteers in Jamaica Opportunity Network to support a local primary school. Volunteers will support teachers in classrooms and contribute to sustainable projects that support a school.
Elon’s Alternative Break Program is a student-led and driven effort to introduce students to new communities while working to address pressing domestic and global social issues. Two student coordinators lead each alternative break program. They receive support and training from student alternative break directors and a staff advisor, who guide the long-term vision of the program.
Follow the work of this year's alternative break work on Instagram at: elonaltbreaks.
More information on the Alternative Break Program is at: https://www.elon.edu/u/service-learning/current-students/alternative-breaks/