Alternative Spring Break: Learning through Community Service

Abstract

Although college student interest in and commitment to community service is growing, the learning outcomes of student voluntarism are poorly understood. This article examines the experiences of a group of university students who worked in a low-income rural community over their spring break through participation in an "alternative spring break" (ASB). Case study methods are used to explore students' experiences and the influence of such service on students' sense of self, others, and community.