This March, while most college students were enjoying freedom from the classroom or even sunny days on the beach, a number of UMBC students instead chose to spend their week off from school in service learning experiences through Alternative Spring Break (ASB).

These week-long service trips introduce students to the broad range of challenges our society faces and teach them how they can help change things for the better. Thanks to donors like you, our students were volunteering and serving for projects and organizations like: 

• The Gesundheit Institute
•  Through the Eyes of a Refugee
• The ARC of Carroll County
• Will Hope for Change
• A Better Impact

Your gifts ensured that students could take advantage of these life-changing education opportunities, so thank you! They truly will carry these memories and lessons throughout their lives.

“My ASB experience was truly memorable. I loved seeing that small actions can make an impact and I had the best time working with other students in the program,” says student Erin Wells who went on the A Better Impact trip. “I have grown so much from just one week, thank you for this opportunity.”

See more photos from the Alternative Spring Break trips!

Alternative Spring Breaks

Spring break. For most students, it holds the promise of sunshine and freedom – an escape from the busy world of school. But for other students, spring break means a chance to learn something new and make a difference in the world. That’s where Alternative Spring Break (ASB) comes in. These week-long service trips introduce students to the broad range of challenges our society faces and teach them how they can help change things for the better. Your gift can help them do amazing work, like this:

Lending a Hand

Through the “Will Hope for Change” trip, students will work together to make a difference right here in Baltimore. This trip provides students the opportunity to help our city’s homeless residents. By working with programs that help to combat this issue, students will gain a better understanding of the struggles that come with being homeless and the impact of helping people right in your own neighborhood.

Living Green

UMBC students on the “A Better Impact” trip will spend a week exploring green spaces in Maryland and learning how to live more sustainably. Each day, students will reflect on the different aspects of sustainable living, and they’ll enjoy the rewards of promoting this lifestyle as they explore Maryland’s topography.

How Can You Help?

These will be special trips; the kind that students will remember for life. But they need your help to get there, quite literally.