When most University of Wisconsin students think about spring break, they think about swim suits, towels and a cold beverage relaxing on the beach; however, to those participating in alternative spring break trips, it can mean a week of service and heightened awareness.

This year, several UW student organizations are offering students the opportunity to travel across the United States to partake in service-oriented activities, such as habitat reconstruction, development of community gardens and feeding of the hungry and homeless.

By organizing 11 service trips in nine different states, the Wisconsin Union Directorate Alternative Breaks Committee provides 107 UW students the chance to travel affordably and serve diverse communities, WUD Alterative Breaks Director and UW senior Shannon Chaplo said.

She added the trips allow students to witness and experience the lives of ethically and culturally unique populations in the U.S. and to learn about the issues surrounding these communities in a hands-on context.

“Students are able to gain experiences and self awareness which one cannot necessarily get in the classroom or laying on the beach in Cancun,” she said.

Another student organization, Students Today Leaders Forever, is extending a national volunteer opportunity to students through the coordination of a multi-day, multi-city service road trip called the Pay it Forward tour.

Forty UW students will travel on a coach bus to six U.S. cities, ranging from South Bend, Ind. to Washington, D.C., and will perform a service project in each city, Core Leader of Students Today Leaders Forever and UW sophomore Marie Renckens said.

Renckens added while a majority of the service projects remain a surprise until the team arrives at the site, a few examples of possible activities are volunteering at a zoo or working at a food kitchen.

The goal of the tour is to inspire the people in the communities in which the students will serve to impact positively the lives of those around them and therefore to keep the chain of kindness and service intact, Renckens said.

“With opportunities like alternative breaks, we get to show we’re more than just rowdy college students,” Renckens said.

UW Habitat for Humanity is also sending students to Georgia, North Carolina and Florida to partake in the collegiate challenge, a program during which students spend one week working in partnership with the local affiliate, the local community and partner families to help eliminate poverty housing in the area.

The students will travel to their assigned location for the week and aid in the construction of a habitat home for four to five days, Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter President and UW medical student Justin Gerstner said.

“These 42 students will put in over 1,300 volunteer hours providing simple, decent and affordable housing solutions to families which would not otherwise be able to afford their homes,” Gerstner said.

He added students would also be able to enjoy the many positive aspects that a normal spring break trip offers such as meeting new friends and bonding with those participating in the same activities.