idealiste.org

What do think of when you hear someone say “let’s go on spring break? “
Hitting the beach in Daytona Beach, Panama City, Cancun, Mexico or Kingston, Jamaica? Or snowboarding down the slopes in Colorado, Vermont or New Hampshire? Drinking yourself into a stupor or participating in risqué behaviors…?
Fortunately for other more mature and responsible students, spring break means something totally different: social activism with some fun on the side!
YES, it its true and it can be done thanks to a new program called:
Alternative Spring Break Haiti.

What can you do?
If your major is…you may be interested in...
Business…setting up some micro finance opportunities in the market place
History…studying firsthand how the world’s first Black Republic came to be
Social Science/Sociology…conducting a survey on a topic of your choice
Education…shadowing a teacher or co-teach a subject for a week
Psychology…learning how mental illness is seen/treated in Haiti
Nursing…volunteering at a clinic with immunization programs
Communications…helping students publish a newsletter or setup a yearbook project
Biology…dissecting a frog or piglet with a science class
Civil Engineering…building an outhouse or digging a well
English…teaching English grammar/conversation to the staff and faculty of a school
Computer Science…bringing the Internet to a school, NGO, or government office guitar
Architecture…renovating/preserving an historical “gingerbread” building
Medicine…assisting the doctors at the local hospital
Public Administration…spending quality time in City Hall with the “Prefet”(Mayor)
Law…witnessing a “Juge de Paix”(Justice of the Peace) in action
Marketing…getting familiar with the intricacies of “Madame Sara” system of distribution
Sports Management…organizing an area wide soccer tournament
Pharmacology…learning the little known benefits of local plants, roots, seeds, and herbs
Archeology…exploring the remnants of any number of revolutionary war forts
Religion…exploring the relationship between voodoo and established religions
Marine Biology…studying the local habitats of sea turtles, langostinos, shrimps and whales
Criminal Justice…patrolling with local Haitian police (PNH) or MINUSTAH peace keepers (Link) http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/
Visual Arts…teaching a basic photography class and/or learning from a master painter
Music…sharing your knowledge of your favorite instrument
Water management…investigating sea salt flats and provide new sources for usage
Dance…learning the various Haitian folkloric dances and demonstrate Jazz, Tap or Ballet
EVERYONE…setting-up age appropriate experiments in a school…rockets,