Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu 
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

In the photo, Shawnee State University students Matt Schiesser and Chris Eatherton paddle through the Intracoastal Waterways taking a break from working in the Francis Marion National Forest in McClellanville, S.C. during the Alternative Winter Break program. Twelve students and two AmeriCorps/VISTA members from SSU provided a community service in the forest working on bridge repair, removal of invasive plant species, beautification and litter control.

Students at Shawnee State University Work Through Winter Break

             While many students use breaks in the curriculum to spend relaxing time away, other students are beginning to take advantage of a new option that is spreading across the nation known as Alternative Break trips.
             Shawnee State University offers two such trips, one during Winter Break (AWB), the other during Spring Break (ASB). Students are able to earn course credit while they travel to another city to serve the community in which they stay. SSU is in its third year of Winter Break and fifth year of Spring Break and the demand from students continues to grow as students continue to return from these trips with such positive experiences.
             Twelve SSU students, led by the two AmeriCorps/VISTA members on campus, Kelly Hatas and Sarah Lowe, recently returned from this year’s AWB trip to McClellanville, South Carolina. The group completed a variety of projects in the Francis Marion National Forest including bridge repair, removal of invasive plant species, beautification and litter control. Their work raised a total of $4,550.00 worth of matching grant dollars for the forest for current and future grant applications.
             Because of a SSU Development Foundation grant awarded to AWB, all students were able to go on this eight-day trip for very little money which covered their cost of food. The support of the Development Foundation is critical to AWB and ASB, as many students would not be able to afford the trip without grant supplements for the cost of transportation.
             These experiential service trips where students are immersed in the culture they are serving are great foundations from which students can build to become more engaged in their own communities. They provide the opportunity to build strong connections to their peers and the variety of challenges students face from being away from their comfort zones aids in personal development and growth. Students were even given the opportunity to paddle a piece of the Intracoastal Waterway right in the backyard of where the group stayed.
             The projects the students completed on this year’s AWB trip gave the students a sense of accomplishment and pride. After the litter removal project, one student vowed that she would never litter again. Students recognize the impact of their work and come away with a sharpened sense of civic duty and a deeper understanding of a different culture.
             The SSU group celebrated the completion of the projects with two rangers from the forest during an Oyster Roast Potluck supper the community held for the group.