Spring Break of Service

by Stacey Kutish
3/8/2011

Caption

First-year students Jennifer Hu and Sam Zhang have elected to spend spring break in service to the Philadelphia community. The pair is participating in Campus Philly's alternative spring break program, which brings together students from seven regional colleges for a week of civic engagement and cultural exploration.

The program aims to educate participants about social issues impacting the city of Philadelphia and to give them means to directly address those issues through service projects. The Philadelphia Zoo, the SHARE food program, the Village of Arts and Humanities, EducationWorks, and the John Wister Elementary School are the beneficiaries of the students' service projects. Participants will learn about topics ranging from urban education to conservation and sustainability.

Campus Philly's Alternative Spring Break also gives the students opportunities to get to know the city's cultural resources, including a performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra, and visits to Eastern State Penitentiary, the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archeology and Anthropology and the new National Museum of American Jewish History.

"The week has been wonderful so far!," says Jennifer Hu. "I knew that I wanted to get involved in various community service activities and having the opportunity to explore Philly in this way has been an amazing opportunity. I've had a great time meeting students from a number of other schools including Haverford, Ursinus, and UPenn."