Alternative Spring Break
From March 9-March 13th the Office of Student Connection & Belonging will be hosting an Alternative Spring Break. During this time, students will be exploring the Borough of West Chester, completing community engagement projects, and diving into local history and Borough heroes.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to Director of Student Connection & Belonging, Amber Decker Haynes at adeckerhaynes@wcupa.edu.
Apply Today!Applications due February 20.
Schedule & Program Overview
We are eager to be accepting applicants for an Alternative Spring Break program. This year’s Alternative Spring Break will be in partnership with the Borough of West Chester. Please see an outline of our schedule below.
Monday, March 9th
Location: Chester County Historical Center
Time: 9am-4pm
- Welcome & Introduction
- Introduction to Community Partnership & Engagement Presentation by WCU Center for Community Eng
- Local Walking Tour with Chester County History Center
- Museum Tour
- Introduction of Alternative Spring Break Projects
Tuesday, March 10th
Location: Chester County Historical Center
Time: 9am-4pm
- Presentation by WCU CTQA
- Deep dive into Bayard Rustin with presentations from local experts
- Cleaning/ Plant Flowers at three local Borough parks (Rustin, Greenfield, Smith)
Wednesday, March 11th
Location: Borough of West Chester Offices
Time: 9am-4pm
- Meet & Greet with Borough of West Chester Staff
- Viewing of Rustin, a movie about Bayard Rustin
- Movie debrief with civil rights expert & author, John D’Emilio
- Participant
- Service at local community organization
Thursday, March 12th
Location: West Chester University Sykes Student Union Ballrooms
Time: 9am-4pm
- Meet & Greet with West Chester University Staff
- Presentation about Community Engagement & Relationships by Dr. Lexie McCarthy
- Presentation & Activity about Divine 9 Organizations
- Participant Presentations
Friday, March 13th
Location: Philadelphia
Time: 10am-6pm
- Visit Constitution Museum
- Visit African American Museum
- End of Program Celebration at Top Golf
Program Logistics
Housing
On Campus: If you live on campus, you will be permitted to stay in your residence hall during Spring Break without cost.
Off Campus & Commuter: You should plan to maintain your own housing for the duration of this week. No additional housing will be provided as part of this program.
Transportation
Transportation will be provided for off campus sites, specifically for the day trip to Philadelphia. Outside of the Friday program in Philadelphia, all other locations during the program are within the Borough of West Chester and are accessible by bus/shuttle. We will work with participants to ensure movement from local sites during the program.
If you are an off campus or commuter student, you should still plan to use your own transportation (bus, car, train, etc.) to get to the Borough of West Chester. If transportation is a barrier to you applying and participating in this program, please reach out to our staff so we can work through it with you.
Cost
The Alternative Spring Break program costs $25. This includes your meals, apparel, tickets, and experience. This cost is not meant as a barrier and instead is a placeholder for your space in the program. If this cost is prohibitive to your participation, please reach out to our staff. The $25 program fee will be assessed once your application is approved.
FAQ & Contact Information
Amber Decker Haynes
ADeckerhaynes@wcupa.edu
Director of Student Connection & Belonging
Gabby Forbes
GForbes759@wcupa.edu
Graduate Intern, Student Connection & Belonging