Students from the 2025 Alternative Service Break group volunteered and worked in the Shawnee National Forest in Harrisburg, Ill. Photo by Alyssa Macuiba

Alternative Service Breaks

Some 30 Terriers Embark on Alternative Service Breaks

BU students travel to locations across the country to conduct immersive and ethics-driven community work

While most students head home or take a vacation for spring break, 30 Terriers are spending their break this year doing hands-on service with community partners around the country as part of the University’s Alternative Service Breaks (ASB) program. 

Now headed by the Student Leadership & Impact Center (SLIC), ASB focuses on service that is thoughtful and informed. The program encourages volunteers to learn about the history and context of the communities they visit, think about the power dynamics at play, and reflect on their experiences so the lessons stay with them long after the trip ends. 

“You’re really able to practice empathy and social skills that you may not have been able to do in other areas of student life,” says Christopher Won, SLIC associate director, “and it’s such a powerful thing.” 

This year, Terriers will touch down in four different locations. Each offers volunteers a different experience, and students were able to choose the trip locations by interest.

In Harrisburg, Ill., volunteers will conduct ecological justice and environmental work for the Shawnee National Forest. Students will support these efforts through trail maintenance, trash cleanup, and assisting trail crews. 

In Orland, Maine, students will work with H.O.M.E., Inc., to support low-income residents. Volunteers will maintain shelters and housing, serve lunch at the soup kitchen, stack the food bank with donations, work in thrift stores, and assist with gardening and greenhouse projects. 

Serve901 in Memphis, Tenn., will have students rotate through different community service sites each day, volunteering in thrift stores, food pantries, urban farms, and youth programs. 

The Louisburg, N.C., trip pairs students with Terrell Lane Middle School to provide academic and social support to middle schoolers and work on maintenance projects around the school.

Won says students return from their trips with a multitude of transferable skills and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Through ASB, he says, students can practice empathy and social skills by working closely with people whose lives and experiences may differ from their own. 

Although the trips are limited to one week, ASB emphasizes that volunteers reflect on their experiences so they return to campus with a stronger sense of active citizenship. Won says they “want students to be able to understand what impacts they’re making and how they are going to bring this back in sustained behavioral changes.”

A strong sense of empathy and compassion is another necessity, so students can become part of these communities during their short stay. “We talk about what it means for students to be going in for a week as folks [and outsiders] who for the most part may be more privileged than, or have different power dynamics within, this community,” Won says. 

Some Terriers applied to ASB to be a student group leader, a unique position that gives them responsibility for ensuring a smooth service break for the rest of the group. Their tasks can include leading daily reflections and discussions, making sure the rest of the group arrives on time for activities, serving as van drivers, and overseeing overall organization. 

Clara Raquel Armon (ENG’27), a group leader for the Memphis trip, which is partnering with Serve901, says Memphis was her top choice for ASB because of the city’s cultural richness. Armon has gone on various service trips outside of ASB, and says that for her, choosing a service trip (over a traditional spring break) wasn’t a sacrifice—it was a source of renewal and fulfillment. 

“Service is always something that really rejuvenates me,” she says. “I think that’s what you want for your break, to be able to come back to school refreshed and ready to focus.” 

Armon’s passion for service and prior experience made her a good fit to act as a group leader. Through this role, she can deepen the trip’s impact for the whole group. She hopes students on ASB trips will be able to think about the service holistically, both in terms of building relationships with their community partners and in their own personal growth. 

“I think there’s nothing better than to be able to meet a ton of community members, hear their stories, and learn about how you can make the most impact,” she says.