Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
Issue link: http://dysoncollege.uberflip.com/i/242044
STUDENTS PAY IT FORWARD A SPRING BREAK YOU CAN WRITE HOME ABOUT This spring, 16 Pace University students traded their sunscreen and bathing suits for work boots and gloves to take part in Alternative Spring Break (ASB), a Pace tradition for more than a decade. It's not easy to imagine spring breakers choosing to spend their vacation hauling garbage, scrubbing mold, and serving meals at a soup kitchen in Staten Island rather than partying it up at the shore, but from March 25-28, they did just that. It's even harder to believe months after Hurricane Sandy, Staten Island is still rebuilding and many residents have yet to return home. Working in partnership with three local nonprofit organizations, students performed a variety of tasks aimed at getting the people of Staten Island back on their feet. Some students removed sodden dry wall from homes, others stocked the shelves of a former Duane Reade store that served as a community resource center for food, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and other assorted, but needed, items. " We want our students to think globally but act locally, so it's important for them to understand the complex issues impacting our local communities. " —Heather Novak Associate Director for the Center for Community Action and Research (CCAR) at Dyson College 14 • Dyson College of Arts and Sciences CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BY THE NUMBERS (2012-2013) Number of community service hours: 58,403 Number of students enrolled in community-based learning courses: 2,226 Number of students attending civic engagement workshops and presentations: 2,872 Number of communitybased learning courses: 117