Campus Philly’s first Alternative Spring Break was a great success; 14 students attending college around the Greater Philadelphia Region spent Sunday night through Friday evening working with four great nonprofits, experiencing Philadelphia’s culture and food, and reflecting on their experiences.

On Monday, students worked with Education Works at the Germantown High School Beacon Center and worked with students before heading to a group dinner in Chinatown where all of the ASBers got to know each other a little bit better and reflect on the first day’s service.



The next nonprofit that students worked with was the Philadelphia Horticultural Society; the students first learned about how PHS isn’t just about beautification, but also about community involvement and growing produce. The students then headed out to work on a garden. One ASB participant wrote of the experience, “I was amazed by what gardening can do for a community, the people, and the atmosphere.” After gardening, the group went to Old City for a tour of galleries and dinner at the Painted Bride Art Center.



The next day, the group worked with Philabundance learning about hunger in Philadelphia and putting together boxes of food. Following this, the students went to Reading Terminal Market for a tour samples of the various types of food before having free time to explore Philadelphia.

The final day of service was spent with Art Sphere painting a mural in Fishtown before meeting with the Social Arts and learning about Philadelphia’s various mural projects and their importance to communities.



The final day of ASB was spent with City Year reflecting on the week, discussing how to be involved and effective in community service, as well as how to become a leader in nonprofit and community service.