“As an international student, I always understood the importance of service for those less fortunate in other countries. Growing up in Bolivia, I observed first hand students from the US volunteering in orphanages and health care centers in an effort to impact a person’s life. From that moment on, I always knew that if I were to be given the opportunity, I would like to make a similar contribution by volunteering in another country. While attending Northeastern I have always made an effort to be a member of several community service groups on campus and serve the communities surrounding Boston. Being involved in these groups led me to join ASB during my middler year.  I knew this was my chance to make an impact in another country in the same way students had impacted my own country years prior.”

                                       ICDS, Costa Rica 2011

I was lucky enough to go on two trips as team leader, the first being to San Jose, Costa Rica in 2011 with ICDS (International Center for Development Studies).  Along with a team, consisting of twelve other Northeastern students, we volunteered with “Un Hugar Para ser Feliz” a center for young adults with severe autism. This was an eye opening experience for me. I was able to connect with the young adults from the center in a way that seemed as if I had known them all my life! My team was wonderful and I know we all came back with an experience we will never forget.           

                                    Vijion, Jamaica 2012

Recognizing the impact ASB had not only on the people we worked with directly, but myself and fellow team members, I knew I had to do it again. My second trip this past March was to Jamaica with VIJON ( Volunteer in Jamaica Opportunity Network) where as a team we volunteered at the Barbary Basic School in St. Elizabeth. Throughout the week we organized our own daily programs for the students in Jamaica with little assistance from the regular teachers. It was challenging to work with younger kids but it was also very rewarding. I learned about the simple but effective teaching methods demonstrated by the teachers and witnessed the joy from within each kid at the school.  The kids live with almost no personal possessions but always have a smile on their face. This different lifestyle was so refreshing, contributing to another amazing experience and I couldn’t have asked for more.   

After going to Jamaica and Costa Rica, one thing is for sure: despite being surrounded by people from a different background or culture I will always find someone I am able to identify with or look up to. No matter where we come from or how much we have, we are all humans with the same needs, desires and dreams. That is one of the most important things ASB has taught me, and it has changed my life for good.” -Jorge Teran, 2012 Alternative Spring Team Leader

                   Bridge Builders, Guatemala 2011

“My name is Nico James and I am a middler at Northeastern University studying Environmental Science. I first became interested in Alternative Spring Break during my first year hearing my friends talk about the amazing time they had building houses for Habitat for Humanity while on ASB. I was attracted to the idea of spending my free time during spring break doing service work among a group of students with the same priorities as me. The following year I applied to the Alternative Spring Break program in hopes that I would be selected to go on one of the various trips. I got to go on the Guatemala ASB trip last year and I loved every minute. I took in every bit of the culture, the great people, the unique environment, and the services we were able to provide. I loved it so much I decided to apply to ASB again this year.

         Harper’s Ferry National Park, West Virginia 2012

As an environmental science major I love working outdoors so I was very eager to apply to ASB again, this time as a team leader, and try working in the U.S. on one of the National Park trips. I was over-joyed when I found out I was selected to be a team leader on the Harper’s Ferry National Park trip. Harper’s Ferry is where the first battle of the civil war took place. I was really nervous about the trip but my co-team leader Theo Matt had been a team leader before and helped answer any questions or concerns I had in the coming weeks before the trip. I can still remember feeling a bit uneasy as we arrived on-site. We were about to learn and help restore an area where a lot of our nation’s history developed, it was also supposed to be haunted. Our team had to split into two groups and live in different housing. Theo and I were worried this might split the group up but it didn’t. Every night after working in the park, mulching trails or removing barbed wire fences, we would be very tired but the group would convene at one of our houses and make dinner and share ghost stories. Every day we got a little closer to our warm-hearted site contact and closer to each other. By the end of the trip we all had inside jokes, sore muscles, a new found appreciation for country music, and country accents. I loved the work we did on this trip because we were really able to see the difference we made. We could see the piles and piles of rusty wire fencing we removed from the park’s organic beauty. We could see the gorgeous trails we helped make and improve and the difference we made in restoring Harper’s Ferry National Park. I will always appreciate the laughs and time I spent there restoring one of our Nation’s most famous landmarks. I also truly appreciate the friendships I made on this trip and the laughs we had together.” -Nico James, 2012 Alternative Spring Break Team Leader

                   Nico and her co-Team Leader, Theo

 ”Here is the reason why I love the Alternative Spring Break program. It’s fun.

                 Josh and his ASB Team working in New Orleans in 2011

Flat out, the two weeks that I’ve spent on Alternative Spring Breaks have been two of the best weeks that I’ve had throughout my college career.

                     Josh planking at the Grand Canyon in 2012

 Before I explain why, let me give you some insight into my ASB experience. I first heard about the Alternative Spring Break program during my freshman orientation. Somehow, though, it wasn’t until the fall of my sophomore year that I eventually attended an info session and decided to apply. Employing the idea of “go big or go home,” I applied to be a Team Leader in my first year. I spent the entire school year planning a trip to New Orleans and had an amazing week helping a city that desperately needs it. After only one year with the ASB program, I applied to be one of the co-coordinators for the 2012 program. Now a second-year coordinator, I’ve enjoyed a full year of coordinating, along with another amazing ASB week, this time in the Grand Canyon.

                       Josh and his ASB team in the Grand Canyon

I’ve done some pretty cool things as a part of the ASB program. I’ve seen multiple Mardi Gras parades on Charles Street in New Orleans. I’ve planked between two rocks, each no more than 15 feet from the edge of the Grand Canyon. I’ve spent over 5 hours in the Center of Community Service reading ASB applications and listening to Miley Cyrus (I wish this wasn’t true). I’ve seen the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, first hand. I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Jose Rodriques laugh at something that he thinks is extremely funny. I’ve secured my position as one of the many on-campus Kelly (Barb) Dwyer mini-me’s. I’ve been on a mountain and heard a mountain lion. I’ve doubted the existence of said mountain lion and slept outside in a tent anyway. I’ve had the existence of said mountain lion confirmed to me the next day. I’ve learned my lesson about mountain lions.

ASB volunteers will always come back with crazy stories from their trips and I’m always eager to hear from every volunteer that I meet. But it’s not just the crazy stories that make ASB trips worthwhile. I’ve made way more friends through ASB than just the 23 that I’ve spent a week with. I’ve learned just as much about myself as I have about the communities that I’ve traveled to. Anyway, without further adieu, here are all of the top reasons why the ASB at Northeastern is fun:

You will meet tons of (at least 11) awesome people that share a passion for lending a hand (paw) in the community. You will get to travel to an exotic place (or somewhere like Texas) and explore an entirely different community. You will do tons of reflection activities (and you will love them). You will have an opportunity to be a leader in your community, in the Northeastern community, in another community, and on your ASB team, whether you’re a team leader or not. You will get the chance to break away from the ordinary and complete meaningful community service. You will explore and learn about a culture that is often very different from the one you live in now. Lastly, if you’re lucky and take your break in the Grand Canyon, you will most likely become oxygen deprived and loopy for a week (due to the elevation).

That is why ASB is awesome. And that is why I am happily spending my last spring break as an undergraduate student traveling somewhere to do community service.  It’s fun.”-Josh Mavilia, 2012, 2013 Alternative Spring Break Student Co-Coordinator 

“Over the course of my college career, I have developed a deep passion and enjoyment in community service and volunteerism, particularly related to issues of education and youth development. My interest in service was initially sparked my freshman year, when I signed up to be an AmeriCorps member with Jumpstart, a national organization that partners with colleges across the country to bring college student volunteers into local Head Start and preschool centers to work one-on-one with children from low-income neighborhoods in order to prepare them for kindergarten. I can say with great certainty that my initial experience with Jumpstart easily shaped my course through college and to date is one of the experiences I am most proud of and grateful to have been apart of.

The child I worked with in Jumpstart, an energetic 3-year-old named Donovan, got hooked early on in the school year on the book Harold and the Purple Crayon.  We would often not even get to the last page of the book before he would eagerly shout ‘read it again!”. It was also amazing to see over the course of the year, the way Donovan learned to recall the words of the book as we read and learned to write his name by the end of the year. These are small, but momentous victories for a 3-year-old and ones that brought me a deep sense of purpose in my time with him. Not only did I find meaning in my work with Donovan and with Jumpstart, the program also sparked an interest in education as a social justice issue. As a result, over the past 5 years I have focused much of my academic work in the Human Services program at Northeastern, on issues of educational equality.

In addition to Jumpstart, I also was a Service-Learning Teaching Assistant to the most wonderful professor in the world, Emily Mann, in the Human Services program at Northeastern. In Dr. Mann’s Child Intervention and Treatment course, I facilitated the placement of 19 students with 7 community-based organizations partnering with the course and supported students throughout their semester-long placement. Having been a student in service-learning courses before, it was interesting to see how much work and orchestration goes into supporting campus-community partnerships at Northeastern. While I only served as an S-L TA for one semester, in hindsight I often wish I had the time and capacity to have done it again. It certainly challenges one’s ability to stay organized and keep on top of communication between students, the community partners, the faculty member teaching the course and the staff in the Service-Learning program. However, it is because of that challenge that makes it a great learning and leadership opportunity.

                                Outreach 360, Dominican Republic 2010

Finally, I have also served as a Team Leader with the Alternative Spring Break program at Northeastern for two years, having co-led a group of 10 students and 1 faculty member each to the Dominican Republic to work with an Orphanage, and most recently, to New Orleans to work with an incredible organization called Rebuilding Together New Orleans (RTNO) to assist in rebuilding a home that was storm-damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

                              Rebuilding Together, New Orleans 2012

These experiences were challenging in many respects, but also very rewarding. As a Team Leader, there is a lot of planning, communication and problem solving involved in running a successful trip. The best part about it though is the people you meet and the tangible different you are able to effect even in just one week. It was insightful to get to learn about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans from locals, from the homeowner whose house we worked on, and from the RTNO staff. It was also amazing to see how much work we were able to accomplish in only a weeks time. Because of the tireless work of our ASB team, we were able to significantly push up RTNO’s work plan on the house. In fact, I just received an email from RTNO that just about two months after we left, Mr. Gross (the homeowner) was able to move back into his home two weeks ago.

                             Rebuilding Together, New Orleans 2012

 Experiences like these always remind me of a quote that I love by Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”. To me, service is about connecting with others and feeling a sense of purpose and meaning. It only takes one meaningful service experience (for me, it was Jumpstart) to realize that you can make a difference to someone and when you work together with other like-minded individuals who want to make a difference (such as many of the students who participate in programs at the Center of Community Service) the impact you are able to make grows and multiplies, reaching and connecting many more people for a common good.” -Katie Theriault, Alternative Spring Break Team Leader, former Service Learning TA, and Jumpstart Team Leader

 Katie Theriault just graduated Suma Cum Laude from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of the Sciences in Human Services with a concentration in Public Policy and Administration. In addition to her involvement with programs at the Center of Community Service, she also serves on the Board of Directors of Massachusetts Service Alliance, the state commission on service and volunteerism. She is currently a volunteer research assistant to Dr. Lori Gardinier and Dr. Emily Mann of the Human Services program at Northeastern University, where she is assisting with a program evaluation of the Youth Development Initiative Project (YDIP) on campus, as well as assisting in a study of service-learning participants perceptions of poverty and a ‘just world’.  She is also studying for the GRE and planning some personal adventures before figuring out what’s next! 

                       Everglades National Park, 2010

“Being involved in the Center of Community Service has to be my favorite thing about Northeastern. I absolutely love all of the programs and service days that are run. My favorite program is definitely Alternative Spring Break.

                                      Bridge Builder, Guatemala, 2011

Last year being a part of the planning process was one of the most rewarding experiences. From looking up sites, to facilitating meetings, and reviewing team leader applications it was a lot of work, but it was incredible to see how much everyone enjoyed their service and how much Northeastern was able to contribute in just a week. As one of the team members for the Tandana Foundation in Otavalo Ecuador we were able to help a small community building a retaining wall to prevent erosion into a fresh water supply for multiple different communities. It was incredible to see how much everyone was able to do with no training and barely any Spanish skills. That’s one of the reasons that I love service and the ASB program, you don’t have to have any special skills to serve.  Also, I learned that there are simple solutions to large problems. You would think you would need a team of engineers and some crazy machines to build something sustainable, but in fact we did it with some rocks, dirt, about 20 people and a few wire cages and some shovels.

                             Tandana, Ecuador 2012

 I’m glad I was able to do Alternative Spring Break for the past three years I’ve meet some of the coolest people at Northeastern, and I’ve had some of the most amazing experiences.” -Jose Rodrigues, 2012 Alternative Spring Break Coordinator 

                                 Tandana, Ecuador 2012

“When I started as a freshman at Northeastern in 2007, I knew I was looking for a way to get involved that allowed me to meet amazing people, have fun, and make a difference. When a friend told me about Alternative Spring Break, I immediately applied, but I had no idea how much of an impact it would make on my five years at Northeastern, and the rest of my life. As a freshman, I went on an ASB trip to Fort Smith, Arkansas to work with Habitat for Humanity and was immediately hooked. My team was full of some of the most incredible and fun people I’d ever met, and the feeling I got after a hard day’s work of building homes for deserving families was incomparable. By the end of the week, I had already made the decision to apply to be a team leader for the following year. I had the opportunity to go back to Fort Smith with a new team, and the best part was that getting to see that the house I had helped start the year before had been completed! I gained a strong sense of belonging to the community in Forth Smith, and I will never forget the people there.

                  Habitat for Humanity, Fort Smith Arkansas 2008

                    Habitat for Humanity, Fort Smith, Arkansas, 2009

The following year I jumped on the opportunity to be a Coordinator for the entire ASB program. I started a year in advance with my Co-Coordinator to research and plan trips, and was able to expand the program by almost 50%! Sharing my previous ASB experiences with new team leaders and volunteers was a lot of fun, and it was very rewarding to see them have equally as amazing trips as I had had. That year, I went to Laredo, Texas to work with a different chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and had yet another incredible experience. This trip was life-changing in that I came home having recognized my passion for helping people, and immediately changed my major to Human Services. I never would have realized that passion if it weren’t for ASB.

                       Habitat for Humanity, Loredo, Texas 2010

 I came back for another year as a Coordinator, and went on a trip to Guatemala to make improvements to a local school and learn about fair trade coffee farming. Creating relationships in another whole country was eye-opening, and the entire team came home from the trip feeling enlightened and passionate about using what we learned to make lasting changes in our own communities.

                      Bridge Builder, Guatemala 2011 

In my fifth and final year at NU, I knew that I couldn’t miss the opportunity to stay involved in ASB. I came back as a team leader and went to the Grand Canyon to work with an environmental organization called the Grand Canyon Trust. Once again, I walked away with a greater understanding of how my own actions impact the world around me, far beyond what I could have imagined.

                              Grand Canyon Trust 2012

            I enjoyed every single second of my experience with ASB, and would encourage EVERYONE to participate. It has literally changed my life by opening me up to new cultures, experiences, and people. Ultimately, I have been amazed by the overwhelming number of people I have met through ASB from all over the world who are passionate, hardworking, and caring, and who have absolutely shaped my experience as an ASB participants and a Northeastern student.”——Kelly Dwyer, Alternative Spring Breal Volunteer

                    Outreach360, Dominican Republic 2012

“As soon as my favorite American Eagle sandals stepped foot on the soil of the Salomon Jorge community center and were already caked with dirt, I realized I had to fold Boston away neatly in my suitcase and prepare for real work. While at first, the idea of not having immediate internet access or even an outlet to charge one’s phone seemed endlessly daunting, as the days progressed it was easier to forget about that lifestyle.

Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic

In Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, a set of mantras to follow was implemented during the volunteer orientation which has permeated my life to this day. Of these ten principles, a few stand out to me that can and should be applied across all aspects of life. “Jump right in” – An ongoing curriculum of teaching and then persistent emphasis was the approach to teaching the elementary school students we had. In order for last week’s lessons to be solidified and for this week’s lessons to be introduced, each and every one of us had to focus on the task at hand with a dogged perseverance. To illustrate this, I recall the animation we all had to instill in our reading to capture and hold the attention of the children.

                      ASB Volunteers and their first grade class

“Poco a poco”- Little by little, small changes add up. We had to grasp reality with both hands and seize the fact that every ounce of effort put in will come back positively in return. There was nothing like the pure joy on a young boy’s face when he first learned to write his name on his own. To him, that moment was monumental and to be a part of the magic and transformation is quite warming.

              Elias, working on writing his name for the first time

And most importantly, “communicate love” – despite being lost in translation as a native English speaker trying to converse with native Spanish speakers, there was no language barrier strong enough to withstand the power of a caring smile or hug nor the universal gleam of enthusiasm in one’s eyes. Volunteering with Outreach360 pulls one out of the materialistic and fast-paced world we as college students are in a race against and challenges us to slow life down and witness and participate in small moments of empowerment and hope for young children. No other place in the world can harbor the pulsating life and potential that is bursting at the seams in this sleepy island town of Monte Cristi, DR.”—-Angelica Recierdo, 2012 Alternative Spring Break Volunteer

            Angelica’s first grade class, celebrating a week of hard work

“Since my first year at Northeastern, I wanted to be involved in community service. When I heard about Alternative Spring Break through an intro to college class, I immediately applied to volunteer. I fell in love with the program and the next year applied to be a team leader. Working as a team leader, I have made new friends who find volunteering as important as I do and who are engaged in combating social issues.

For my third year with the program, I had the unique opportunity to volunteer in Kentucky with the organization Mountaintop Appalachia. My team and I learned all about mountain top removal, a type of strip mining, and the ways in which both the community and the environment are affected by this practice. With my team, I planted trees on an abandoned mine and weatherized the homes of low-income residents trying to lower their heat and electricity bills. This program was so special to me because I learned so much about an area of the United States that I had known nearly nothing about, as well as an environmental issue that I have the ability to influence by changing my electricity habits, spreading the word about mountain top removal, and speaking to my elected officials about policy changes I would like initiated.”—— Deirdre Judge, 2012 Alternative Spring Break Team Leader

To learn more about Mountaintop Appalachia visit the Mountaintop Removal Road Show website!

“For Spring Break this past year, I helped lead a team of Northeastern undergrads to Costa Rica! Our trip was focused on learning about fair trade coffee farming, and we were fortunately able to go in the fields and help pick coffee ourselves! Our trip incorporated learning about fair trade coffee farming and service to make our experience extra special and extremely educational! We had the most amazing tour guide ever, Kattya, who will forever hold a place in our hearts!! We also sanded and painted a local community playground as well as sanded down wooden desks for a local school.

The community embraced us with open arms and we were able to visit many people’s homes and learn more than ever imaginable about Costa Rican culture. One of my favorite experiences was visiting the mother of one of our guides at the community coffee cooperative and making tamales! Abuella Tica, as we called her, took us around her house and showed us her amazing garden as well as fed us an outstanding meal! Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and we were all able to learn so much! This trip was truly amazing and I would highly recommend ASB to anyone who is slightly interested. Every year I feel as though my trip is the best one ever, and every year they keep getting more and more amazing! It is an unforgettable experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life!” -Molly Bloom, 2012 Alternative Spring Break Team Leader

“As a third year student, I wanted to get more involved with the Center and had always heard amazing things about the ASB program. I applied to be a Team Leader for a trip going down to a small town in Texas, and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to co-lead the trip. I have always loved working with children and was told that Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children is a magical place. PKRC is designed to help kids with disabilities to find confidence and empowerment within themselves. Every child is to be treated equally, and nothing is impossible for anyone. People told me how life-changing their trips to PKRC were, and I heard stories of students who even returned after their ASB trips to continue working at the retreat. During my week, I was fortunate enough to meet and make friends with my awesome Northeastern peers, and I felt an instant connection with PKRC and the people who work there. We did a lot of maintenance work for the camp, and even got to spend a few days playing games and doing the low ropes course with the kids! It was truly an amazing experience, and it was really difficult for me to leave Texas. When I returned to Boston, I decided that I absolutely needed to go back to PKRC. I decided to change my original summer plan, and I applied to become a Summer Staffer for PKRC. I recently learned that I officially received the position and will soon be going back to Texas alongside my ASB Co-TL Nick! I can’t wait to work alongside the fantastic people who keep the camp running and I really look forward to making a meaningful impact!” -Hilary Gabso, 2012 Alternative Spring Break Team Leader

“To me, being at Northeastern meant getting involved. As an incoming freshman, I branched out and did almost every community service event I could. I started with one-day events, like volunteering at walks around Boston and at the NU Service Day. Nevertheless, I still wanted to get more involved. I wanted to do something more worthwhile and something I could look back on and know I made a difference. So, I did!

I started at Peace through Play in fall 2011 because I thought, “Working with kids? Great, I love kids!” I have been with Peace through Play since the fall and I do not plan on quitting. The atmosphere of the people, the kids, and the schools will keep me coming back again and again. I worked with kindergarteners at local schools both semesters and I loved every second. Seeing the kids’ smiling faces and knowing that I was having an impact on their lives is an empowering feeling! Knowing that just a game, a friendly word, or a hug can brighten up a child’s day is absolutely amazing.

I saw that this was also true while volunteering at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club with the Husky Volunteer Team in the spring of 2012. While here, I helped kids with art projects, played Frisbee, and so many other fun activities. I was able to work with children of all ages and interact with them in a casual setting. It was great to see some kids start to open up and talk to the volunteers about their friends, lives, and feelings. I had a great time volunteering here and I highly recommend it!

The last major volunteering experience I had was on my Alternative Spring Breaktrip to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in March. I really feel that this experience changed my life. It’s one thing to volunteer around Boston, but to actually travel to a new place and meet new people who needed your help was so incredible. Knowing that I was helping the staff of a national park accomplish tasks was such a great feeling! I could see the impact I was having and I had so much fun volunteering here. I will tell people for a long, long time about this experience and the various other volunteering experiences I have had, and will continue to have, at Northeastern and beyond.” —-Valerie Thibault, Alternative Spring Break, Husky Volunteer Team and NU Service Day volunteer