Beaches, parties, family vacations and binge-watching Netflix are what many college students look forward to during their spring break. But other students choose to spend their break giving back to others.

Students from various colleges and universities in Alabama plan to spend their spring break volunteering for different organizations and causes – while students from other states are also in Alabama doing good works for spring break. For example, a contingent from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island is working in Birmingham’s tornado-damaged Pratt City area, building a Habitat for Humanity home.

Students from Rhode Island work on a Habitat home in Pratt City

Samford University and Auburn University are two of the many schools hosting alternative spring breaks for their students to travel nationally and internationally to serve the community.

Samford students are traveling to Orlando, Fla., to volunteer with “Give Kids the World.” GKTW is a nonprofit organization that provides a dream vacation to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families at no cost.

“I wanted to serve rather than be served,” said Taylor Gillilan, a student at Samford who is attending the trip this year. “I chose to volunteer because it’s the best spring break experience I could think of having.”

Gillilan, who has been on the trip before, said she looks forward to using her spring break to do something substantial rather than the going to the beach or spending the time leisurely.

Students from Rhode Island work on a Habitat home in Pratt City

Samford is sending nine students to GKTW. It is the second year that Samford has participated in the program. “It’s important to be reminded that life is so much bigger than the routines and bubbles we so easily find ourselves in,” said Gillilan.

Auburn students are planning to volunteer in several locations throughout the country during their spring break. They are traveling to New Jersey to help with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts; Marion County, Ala., to assist Habitat for Humanity; Orlando for GKTW; as well as Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic to work on international community development projects. As many as 15 students are volunteering for each trip.

“Participating in alternative spring break allows me to deepen my commitment to serving those around me,” said Julie Sawyer, a student at Auburn. It is Sawyer’s third year volunteering with the alternative spring break program. “Volunteering has afforded me the opportunity to learn about myself through hard work and putting others first,” Sawyer said.

Students from Rhode Island work on a Habitat home in Pratt City

Several other schools throughout Alabama also participate in alternative spring break programs. Students from the University of North Alabama plan to raise awareness about human trafficking in Atlanta and are also participating in restoration projects in New Orleans. The University of Alabama (UA) is sending 18 students to Moore, Okla., to help with the tornado relief.

Meanwhile, students from universities outside the state are coming to Alabama for spring break to support a variety of good works here. For example, students from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island are working in the tornado-damaged Pratt City area of Birmingham, constructing a Habitat for Humanity home for a deserving family.

“Having the opportunity to participate in the alternative spring break program is a great way to get involved and spend time helping others,” said UA student Courtney Muellenberg, who attended alternative spring break in 2013. “It’s so rewarding knowing how many lives we can impact by giving a week out of the year to help these communities.”

– Rachel Uniatowski