SUNY Oswego offers new location for alternative spring break

OSWEGO, NY– The city of Oswego will be a little quieter next week.

SUNY Oswego’s Spring Break will take place this week from March 13th to March 19th. While some students will be using this time to take a vacation, others will be participating in an Alternative Break. Alternative Breaks give students the opportunity to travel either out of state or outside the country to volunteer with nonprofit organizations during Winter or Spring break. This week, students registered for Alternative Spring Break will be given the chance to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Iowa or Alabama, Cass Community Social Services in Michigan, or Outreach360 in Nicaragua.

Alternative Breaks have been offered to SUNY Oswego students since 2001 but this year will be the first year that students will travel to Nicaragua according to the Coordinator of Community Services; Jeremy Galvin.

Participating in an Alternative Spring Break trip provides students with an opportunity to see the issues that people living in other places around the world are dealing with Galvin said.

“Not only do you get to travel outside of the country for a week or even more, but you get to go out into the world and see how other communities are impacted by some of the social issues that exist today. I think it’s a really good opportunity to really see them first hand and see how your involvement in the community can have an impact with that.”

Students traveling to Nicaragua with the Alternative Spring Break program will be volunteering in a poverty center said Galvin.

According to Outreach360’s website, the non profit’s mission is to aid in giving children in Latin America a better education. For more information go to Outreach360.org.