Alternative Spartan Breaks (ASB) wrapped on a successful Fall 2024 semester of weekend experiences on projects addressing hunger, health and well-being, city sustainability, and accessibility throughout Michigan. In total, 52 students joined 5 different team experiences and connected with 3 community partners to support these goals.

ASB is a Registered Student Organization that plans engagement experiences throughout the state, country, and world. All experiences are oriented around one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. A team of undergraduate participants, led by one or two students serving as team leaders, learns about the needs and programs of a community, engages in a service project, and reflects on the experience.

“I thought it was interesting to see how easily all ten of us fell into teamwork,” said participant Hope Lim. Lim joined the Reclaim, Restore, Rebuild experience on November 23-24 and also serves as a student leader in the Spartan Volunteer Corps. “Everyone wanted to help and have fun while we were volunteering. ASB created an environment to meet new people who were interested in common topics.”

ASB’s Reclaim, Restore, Rebuild initiative focuses on UN Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities by supporting neighborhood revitalization in Detroit through cleanup and renovation at vacant lots and abandoned buildings. 

“By reusing materials and assisting with local gardening, we contributed to a more sustainable, community-focused environment” said team leader Yamene Sathishkumar. “Our community partner’s mission aligns with this goal, as they are building sustainable neighborhoods one block at a time.”

ASB’s first ever four-day experience, hosted over Fall Break on October 19-22, was a part of the Reclaim, Restore, Rebuild initiative. While Fall semester experiences are usually over the course of one weekend, Fall Break participants were able to apply this additional time to more complex projects, such as preparation of a house for renovation through cleaning and sorting items.

“The extended Fall Break allowed us to connect deeply with the community and witness the impact of our work firsthand,” said Fall Break participant Saad Zaeem. Zaeem also serves on the ASB Executive Board as the Accounting Chair. “I grew in understanding sustainable change and realized the value of empowering residents in revitalization.”

Making Adventures Accessible was another initiative supported by Fall 2024 experiences. These teams supported event programming and accessible facility maintenance at an outdoor retreat providing personal growth and team building experiences to people with disabilities. This initiative addresses UN Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being and UN Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.

“The community partner did a great job in planning activities that kept the campers engaged,” said participant Andrew Quinn. Quinn joined the November 23-24 Making Adventures Accessible experience and serves on the ASB Executive Board as Vice President of Finance. “We were able to gain a new perspective. It was interesting to meet such a wide range of people with disabilities, which gave the word ‘spectrum’ meaning.”

ASB also sent one team on November 16-17 in support of the Breaking Barriers, Building Futures initiative. This team collaborated with an organization on providing meals, building homes for low-income individuals, working in recycling programs, and beautifying the community. This initiative addresses UN Goals 3 and 11 as well as Goal 2: Zero Hunger.

“Engaging with the community partner challenged me to think critically about the systemic issues contributing to homelessness and food insecurity,” said participant Selma Bichbich. Bichbich is an international student from the American University of Beirut in the Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate Program studying at MSU as a semester exchange student. “I grew in my understanding of the importance of sustainable community development and the impact of grassroots initiatives.”

Fall 2024 ASB experiences saw notable participation from international students through semester exchange programs. 20 international student participants joined as a part of their semester exchange through Tomorrow’s Leaders, the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program, and the American Semester Program.

“This experience deeply enriched my time at MSU and showed me that education is not just confined to the classroom,” said participant Lulu Azizah, a student in the IISMA program. “Most of my previous volunteer work wasn’t directly related to the Sustainable Development Goals, and I didn’t often think about global challenges in a broader sense. However, through ASB, I saw how focused and consistent community efforts can bring about real change."

“I’ve had several volunteering experiences in the field of sustainability, community, and cities,” shared participant Armeino Atana, also an IISMA student. “Having the chance to learn and experience ASB volunteering in Detroit makes me learn new things about how community empowerment is really important on shaping a resilient and sustainable city.”

“The experience helped me build teamwork and leadership skills,” added Bichbich. “It deepened my appreciation for the exchange program by showcasing the positive impact of cross-cultural collaboration on community development.”

Applications for weekend and Spring Break experiences in the Spring 2025 semester are currently open, and the ASB Executive Board is directing their attention to preparing for these engagement opportunities.

“I think there was a lot of success from a newer Executive Board this semester,” said Quinn. “The big part of our organization is Spring Break, so my hope is to address gaps we experienced last semester and have a successful semester coming soon.”