SPRINGFIELD, Mo., March 8, 2013 — When Drury takes off for Spring Break after classes on Friday, March 15, many students will head for home, the beach or the ski slopes; but 18 Drury students are going out of state to volunteer their time in service projects. It’s a tradition known as “Alternative” Spring Break.
Drury students will travel to two destinations:
- Maryville, Tenn. There, the Drury students will work at Once Upon a Time in Appalachia, an immersion program that provides service, educational and reflection activities. The Drury students will tutor youth, perform maintenance work on the Trail of Tears, paint community centers along with other work and activities.
- Denver, Colo. In Denver, Drury students will complete multiple projects with the African Community Center, including teaching life skills, working in the center’s thrift store and performing maintenance work. This is a non-profit focused on serving African refugees in their transition to becoming American citizens
The 22 people (18 students and four staff members) will each volunteer 32 hours accounting for 704 service hours to the national community. Both groups will work four days and have one “off” day. In Tennessee, the Drury students will go whitewater rafting. In Denver, the students will have the opportunity to go skiing.
Each group has nine students and two staff sponsors on the trip. The student pays just $100. The rest of the cost is paid for through fundraising, money from the Student Government Association, and the Office of Community Outreach and Leadership Development.
The Tennessee group leaves on March 16 and returns on March 22. The Denver group leaves on March 17 and will return on March 23. The final meeting for the Alternative Spring Break groups is Tuesday, March 12 at 8 p.m. in the Findlay Student Center.
Media Contact: Emily Journagan, Volunteer Services Coordinator, Phone: (417) 873-6803, Mobile: (417) 773-9415, Email: ejournagan@drury.edu
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