PELLA — Ten Central College students will spend spring break in Austin, Texas, Saturday, March 12, through Saturday, March 19. The students will partner with a variety of non-profit organizations that offer social services to those in need, including Casa Marianella which offers a secure living environment for immigrant populations.
Projects the students will work on while in Texas include working with immigrant populations to improve their conversational English and participating in a “Speed Interviewing” session for immigrant workers to hone their job interviewing skills. The students will also help clean and organize houses and spend an evening cooking dinner and helping residents with their English.
Nicole Palenske, assistant professor of biology and exercise science, is the adviser for the group.
The first alternate spring break trip was in 2009 to Moab, Utah, and began as an option for students who wanted to do service work in a civic engagement setting. The Austin, Texas, trip option was added in conjunction with last year’s first-year students’ common reading book, Enrique’s Journey, which focused on helping recent immigrants. Alternate spring break became a recognized student organization during the 2009-10 academic year.
