While student interest in the Alternative Spring Break program has skyrocketed in recent years, the program has been unable to support the increased demand because of limited funds.
This year, more than half of the applicants were turned away from ASB and the program would have to double to take all interested students, said Kristan Cilente, coordinator for Community Service-Learning. Though the program receives money from the university, their amount supplied falls short of the demand of the program.
This has led students to shoulder more responsibilities in the fundraising and to take on more leadership roles. On staff, there are four student program leaders who have taken roles once designated for the staff of the Office of Campus Programs under which the program is housed.
“These roles take a lot of the burden off of our staff members, who can then concentrate on things like funding and logistics,” said junior physics and astronomy and physics major Megan Stransky, a student program leader who keeps track of funds. “Trip leaders are taking greater responsibility in designing their trips and we are working on organizing an art show in the spring as a major fundraising effort.”
Program participants are obligated to help raise funds – by working in concessions for two sporting events among other fundraising activities. In addition, each of the 13 trips plan their own fundraisers, such as bake sales or selling candy grams, to help make up for the deficit.
Each domestic trip costs $450 with the exception of the local Prince George’s County trip, which costs $50. But a spring break plane ticket alone to Key West, Fla., ranged from $350 to $730 on Expedia.
Key West is a destination on this year’s program and students will stay on the island for the entire spring break. The mere $450 includes food and lodging for the week.
The program has made ends meet for the time being by increasing the amount students are required to raise funds, but may have reached capacity. Cilente hopes they will be able to take on more students in coming years but definitely doesn’t see the program doubling.
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