Instead of spending spring or winter break sleeping in, socializing, or getting a tan, participants in the Cal Corps Public Service Center’s Alternative Breaks program spend the week working. And what’s their complaint? A week isn’t nearly enough.
These students tackle projects such as educational outreach with Native Americans in San Diego, immigration issues on the Tijuana border, housing for migrant laborers in California’s Central Valley, and the rebuilding of hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.
“All of a sudden,” says Megan Voorhees, director of the popular program, “we had 86 students going to New Orleans for three weeks.” In May and June, the students provided more than 10,000 hours of service, handling physical infrastructure needs, as well as fixing such problems as the Homeland Security Web site, which wasn’t linking needy residents directly to Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance.
Each year some 4,400 Berkeley students initiate, promote, and operate a wide variety of service programs through Cal Corps, a one-stop shopping center that serves as a liaison between students and the community. With 300 partner agencies targeting K-12 education, health care, community development, and social justice, Cal Corps facilitates one-time events and ongoing programs, and supports faculty in community-based research.
Students seek out service opportunities, not only because they look great on the resume (they do), but also because, as one participant in New Orleans said, it’s “amazing, enlightening, effective — an unforgettable experience that contributes to one’s growth and identity.”
Everyone profits, says Voorhees. “Faculty get reenergized, and community partners get inspired. As a public institution, our call is to train young people to be effective leaders, to benefit others. Public service ensures that Berkeley is relevant to a lot of different audiences.”
