Friday, December 8, 2023

Not your average spring break for UTSA Volunteer Services

Not your average spring break for UTSA Volunteer Services

MARCH 6, 2020 — For dozens of students at UTSA, spring break is not a week to unwind but an opportunity to make a difference in serving a community.

UTSA Volunteer Services is sponsoring two Alternative Spring Break trips this year: (1) Changing the Narrative: Emphasizing Abilities in Disabilities near Dallas and (2) Long-Term Recovery: Environmental Restoration & Disaster Relief in Puerto Rico.

On Saturday, March 7, 11 students and staff will travel outside Dallas to a place called Paradise to volunteer at Camp Summit. The camp seeks to provide barrier-free outdoor experiences that promote personal growth and foster independence for children and adults with disabilities.


The experiential service learning demonstrated on these trips equips students to face challenges, help others and find ways to effectively contribute to society.



Camp Summit has a range of activities of a typical summer camp, including horseback riding, archery, ropes courses, arts and crafts, sitting by the fire, and staying in camp houses.

On Monday, March 9 a group of 18 students and staff will board a plane to volunteer in Puerto Rico. They will work with Community Collaborations International for a second year on ecosystem restoration and community development projects.

The Alternative Break Program is much more than a week of volunteering. Students who participate in the program will spend up to six weeks prior to the trip learning about the social issue they’re heading to and what it means to be a conscientious citizen.

After researching and learning together they will serve in the community and then at the end of each day, the students will gather for reflection time, discussing the purpose of the work they're doing.

Reflection activities help students connect what they have learned to the experiences they are having in the community while working with vulnerable populations.


⇒ Visit Volunteer Services on RowdyLink and follow @UTSAVolunteer on Instagram.


In addition to building pride and a sense of accomplishment, the experiential service learning demonstrated on these trips equips students to face challenges, help others and find ways to effectively contribute to society.

UTSA also offers Alternative Winter Break trips in addition to day-long volunteer opportunities. Alternative Break Trip Leader Applications for the 2020–20201 academic year will open at the end of the semester for students looking to take a leadership role in next year’s experiences.

Kirsten Spooner and Jessica Dawson



UTSA Today is produced by University Strategic Communications,
the official news source
of The University of Texas at San Antonio.
Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu.


UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.


Events


Spotlight

Spotlight

dtc-utsa-sign_680.png
University of Texas at San Antonio receives ‘transformational’ $40M gift

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.