UTSA students learn in Arizona about leading alternative break projects
UTSA students Leslianne Garcia (left) and Courtney Hunter at the Grand Canyon
UTSA students Leslianne Garcia (left) and Courtney Hunter at the Grand Canyon
Share this Story(Aug. 2, 2013) -- UTSA students Leslianne Garcia and Courtney Hunter recently spent a week learning the art of facilitating an alternative break experience from the Alternative Break Citizenship Schools (ABCs). This year, the focus of ABCs was "National Parks: Preservation by the People, for the People," hosted at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
ABCs consists of weeklong intensive training sessions that combine workshops, discussions, service, reflection and speakers with an alternative break experience. Since 1993, ABCs has been hosted by Break Away: The Alternative Break Connection. At this year's session, the students also participated in conservation and preservation service activities to benefit the park.
Garcia, Hunter and 38 other participants representing 27 universities around the country partnered with the National Park Services Science and Resource Management's Vegetation and Hazard Tree Program. Together, the 40 participants supplemented over $14,000 of work with the nearly 1,400 volunteer hours they provided.
Garcia and Hunter plan the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program at UTSA through the student organization VOICES (Volunteer Organization Involving Community, Education and Service). ASB is an experiential service-learning experience that empowers and challenges students to understand their relationship with the global community.
Past ASB trips include Atlanta, Oklahoma, Big Bend National Park, New Orleans and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Students have returned to UTSA inspired by the dedication of participants and with the enthusiasm to implement many of the concepts they learned. Some of their new initiatives include adding a winter break trip, adding weekend trips and increasing overall participation in alternative breaks.
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>> This fall, VOICES will celebrate 20 years of service at UTSA. Learn more at the VOICES website.
>> To learn more about alternative break trips or being a faculty-staff adviser, contact Leslianne Garcia at 210-458-7291. Applications for this year's trip will be available September 2013.
>> Learn about volunteer opportunities at the UTSA Volunteer Services website, visit the Volunteer Services office in H-E-B University Center Room 1.216 on the UTSA Main Campus or email volunteer@utsa.edu.
Events
The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.
Various LocationsThis community event is hosted by the UTSA Mexican American Studies Program. It is a lecture/performance that examines the contributions of Tejana musicians to the evolution of Mexican American music.
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave.Asian Fanfair is an event that highlights our APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) identities on campus. The event will feature performances from our AAPI interest Student Organizations, a tabling fair, and some cultural cuisine.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusJoin us for a day dedicated to supporting and empowering our UTSA veterans! We're excited to announce our upcoming resource fair, designed specifically to ensure that our veteran students have access to the resources and networking opportunities they need to thrive in their academic and post-military lives.
Student Union Lawn, Main CampusThis workshop will introduce participants to the basics of text analysis using Python and Jupyter Notebook on the Constellate Lab platform. We will create datasets in Constellate to analyze patterns, trends, and relationships of contents and more.
John Peace Library (JPL 3.02.32), Main CampusWhat would award-winning writing professor Diane Abdo say if it were her last lecture? Join us for our annual Last Lecture series on Wednesday April 17.
Multipurpose Room (BSE 2.102), Main CampusDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main Campus
