United Way Alternative Spring Break
Education is the key focus of United Way Alternative Spring Break in Newark, New Jersey. The lack of resources, funding, and excellent teachers for children in Newark has contributed to the poor quality education these youth receive. With United Way of Northern New Jersey’s partnership with United Way of Essex and West Hudson and the Boys & Girls Club, they are making it possible to give tutors, mentors and support to the children who need it the most.
Did you know that 1 in 3 children living in Newark, NJ live in poverty? And that poverty influences nearly every aspect of a child’s well-being, including academic success?
As a participant in United Way Alternative Spring Break, you will work directly with children at the Boys & Girls Club in Newark by developing and implementing a summer camp style curriculum. Additionally, you will work with Boys & Girls Club staff to increase the impact of their programs and the facility.
Check out this newsletter story to learn more about what students have done
For more information about this exciting opportunity, please call United Way’s Elizabeth Rodriguez at 973.746.4040, x201 or email elizabeth.rodriguez@unitedwaynnj.org
To receive more information about United Way’s Alternative Spring Break, please visit these websites:
http://www.firstgiving.com/UWNNJ
http://www.unitedwaynnj.org/volunteer/alternativesb.php
https://www.facebook.com/ASB.NJ
Mountaintop Removal Spring Break 2013
Professor Rakosi Rosenbloom and Tina Notas will be leading a week-long Spring Break trip to Harlan, Kentucky, with the goal of deepening their student’s understanding of Environmental Justice. On the trip, students learned about mountain top removal and the ecological, cultural and economic significance of mining in local communities. The trip also included a civic engagement/community service component.
Activities included:
- Service work planting trees on an abandoned strip mine site in Harlan County (Dollar Branch) and home weatherization work with Harlan Community Action Agency
- A visit to a mountain-top removal site
- Lectures on Appalachia and mountaintop removal hiking at Blanton Forest
- A visit to the Kentucky Thrift Shop, The Coal Bin
- Round table discussion with coalfield residents (KFTC, SAMS, RRENEW) and speakers.
- A tour of community radio station WMMT-FM
- Viewing the 1976 Academy-award wining documentary on the United Mine Workers strike in Harlan
- Live music and dancing at the Campbell Branch Community Center and the Summit City Lounge in Whitesburg
For more information about the MountainTop Removal Alternative Spring Break, please visit:
Applications are due February 8th! Click here for application
Visit the MountainTop Removal Alternative Spring Break Website for the application
Alternative Winter Break to Washington, DC
Alternate Winter Break 2013 to DC was a great success this year. Through the combined efforts of everyone on the trip and the DC organizations we partnered with, Drew students were able to help over 22,400 people by serving them meals, organizing their home, and in some cases, simply being a friend.
This year’s activities included:
- Serving in soup kitchens
- Hearing first-hand stories of homeless and formerly homeless people
- Cleaning senior citizens’ apartments
- Packaging food to be delivered to people suffering from illness and disease
- Sorting furniture donations for recovering homeless citizens to furnish their new homes and apartments
Within only one week, students were able to gain a better hands on understanding of the problems facing these social groups. Many stories were shared that made it apparent that these crises can affect anybody, from any background, at any time. The Alternate Winter Break focuses on homelessness and poverty. Due to the severe poverty that faces so many in Washington DC, the need for a solution to this problem is crucial. More trip details and photos to follow!