Basic Information

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a completely student-run organization established in 1992 to conduct service projects during spring break for University of Virginia students. Originally, the service trips were designed to function as a simple, alcohol-free alternative to the standard week spent at home or the beach. Over the years the organization has experienced incredible growth in both quantity of service projects organized and in the quality of the ASB experience for the volunteer. Signing up to participate in an ASB service project is no longer simply a one-week commitment to volunteering, but it has emerged into a year-round experience that emphasize self-awareness through educational and cultural programs that take place before, during, and after the projects. These programs encourages participants to examine their own privilege while also recognizing their own personal role in the larger issues at hand. The goal of Alternative Spring Break is not to be paternalistic, nor to impose personal views or perceptions; but rather to engage in open dialogue and for participants to learn through listening, serving, and observing.