Spring break is the perfect time to find adventure – and Jessica Darney, an Alternative Service Break Coordinator at the Center for Volunteerism and Social Action, said service trips are an excellent way to do that.
Spring ASB Registration Day will begin at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Whitewater Room of the Idaho Commons.
CVSA Coordinator Natalie Magnus said students should arrive early and anticipate waiting in line.
“We encourage people to get there early because some trips will fill that night,” Magnus said.
Darney said the event is a great opportunity for students to discuss what service each trip will provide, view housing arrangements and pick up an itinerary. The student or faculty leader who will lead the trips in the spring will be at registration to represent the trip.
Darney said each ASB trip will be displayed on a table where interested students can get help making their final decision.
“If they don”t know what they want to do, they can walk around and see all the different trips,” Darney said.
CVSA Outreach Social Justice Coordinator Courtney Stoker said the event was successful last year and is expected to be even larger this year.
“Last year it was very exciting,” Stoker said. “It went very smoothly.”
Stoker said registration day gives students the chance to see all the details of their trip and make a more informed decision about what kind of service they will be doing.
“I think it allows people to have more ownership of their trip,” Stoker said.
Stoker said last year several of the trips filled up right away, but each trip has a waitlist.
To register for a trip, students must pay a $50 deposit, which will contribute to the total cost of their trip. Spring trips all cost $150.
“Once you put your name down and pay your deposit, your spot is reserved,” Stoker said.
Magnus said if a student is unable to attend the event they are free to stop by the volunteer office located in room 301 in the Idaho Commons and look through the remaining options. The remaining spots will also be posted on the UI website and on the Volunteer UIdaho Facebook page.
“We really make sure that all of our trips are great,” Magnus said. “We set them up with the intention that they will be doing really hands-on service and social justice-focused.”
After securing a spot in their trip of choice, Magnus said students will fill out paperwork and begin collaborating with their service group.
Groups will meet three times before their trip to participate in team-building exercises and learn about their social justice issue. Magnus said one of the three meetings will be a “fun meeting” where members of each group will learn more about each other before traveling together.
“We”ve never had a student come back from a trip and say they wish they hadn”t gone,” Magnus said. “It”s always been wonderful feedback.”
Austin Maas can be reach at [email protected] or on Twitter @austindmaas