Recognition

Alternative Spring Break was honored at the Service, Organization, and University Leadership (SOUL) Awards in April of 2007 with the following awards:

UVA Bookstore Most Outstanding Service Program · $500
Given to the group that best fulfills the needs of the local community in pursuing its goals. Candidates will have creative, effective programs which impact a number of local causes or which have been particularly effective in a specialized sector on which the group is focused.
Most Outstanding CIO of the Year · $400
This award will be based on member intake and retention, educational and social programming, community service, fundraising, leadership development, and overall fulfillment of the organization’s purpose.
Committed Leader
Given to the leader who has demonstrated commitment during their years with a particular student group. Commitment is measured by the selfless giving of their time and energy to traditional endeavors and group advancement.
Most Inspiring Leader
Given to the leader who most inspires group member and University community participation. The ideal applicant has positively impacted the community, advocated a just cause, or increased student involvement while demonstrating enthusiasm in all of their activities.

Z Society Recognition Letter

Participants, Site Leaders, and Exec Board Members of Alternative Spring Break,

A belated welcome home and congratulations from your inspiringly successful spring breaks. Each and every one of you is deserving of incredible gratitude and congratulations for organizing, leading, and participating on the 33 trips that matriculated successfully in the previous weeks. It is a powerful statement for even a single individual to give up valuable time, resources, and energy to do service to a community that is in need of help but for over 500 students from this great University to make such a statement is incredibly profound and telling of the heart, passion, and dedication that embody our student body at UVA.

There has been much criticism in recent weeks of Alternative Spring Break as a program both in published form and also simply by word of mouth throughout the community. We think that the overwhelming flood of responses in support of ASB speaks for itself to the outstanding value and compassion of your organization and actions but we, too, would like to add our support for what you have accomplished as a group. There may exist more economically efficient methods to donate to a charity but ultimately the true spirit of altruism and service is spirited by love and compassion and few individuals or organizations at this University can match the love and compassion that you have shown.

As you reflect today on the success and ingenuity of each of this year's trips and this year's success as a whole we challenge you to continue striving to push the limits of what your organization is capable of. Challenge the foundations that your organization is built upon: challenge your own service to see if you can make it more meaningful and challenge your service learning to see if you can make it more permanent.

Congratulations on all of your successes and accomplishments over this past year. Your vision makes our community a better place and we look forward to seeing your organization and the individuals that participate in it continue to grow and change their perspectives.

ASB in the Press