An alternative to Spring Break

Whilemany UW students spent spring break relaxing with family or friends and enjoying the time away from school. Others like Anusuya Banerjee, mjoring in pschology and women's studies, senior, traveled across the state to spend their free time tutoring elementary school children.

Banerjee was one of five UW students who spent spring break at Valley View Elementary School in the rural Eastern Washington town of Toppenish, where they helped young children make small books.

UW students visited Valley View and other rural elementary schools as part of the Pipeline Project's Alternative Spring Break program. This program allows students to help primary school children, especially those in the farther-reaching areas of the state.

The Alternative Spring Break program is designed to give children a break from Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) preparation, to allow creativity in classroom, and to give children a glimpse of college life.

Clara Jimenez, 45-year-old UW alumna and principal of Valley View Elementary School, is dedicated to the students she is responsible for and advocates the strengths of the UW's program.

"Teachers have to spend a great deal of time teaching students the skills they need to be successful for the WASL, such as math, reading and writing," she said. "The level of creativity has dropped considerably in the last 10 years."

During Alternative Spring Break, UW volunteers spend their time involved in a craft project to make books, but more importantly, they share with the elementary school children the benefits of a college education.

"The real benefit that the students are getting from this program is the college students spending time with them," said Eric Hevland, a Valley View Elementary fifth grade teacher. "They get to see that there is more to life than picking asparagus or cherries. There are other things out there. The more people that are brought in from the outside, the more opportunities these kids will see that they have."

Hevland said, when he asks his students what their plans for the future are, many of them say they will drop out of high school, get married, have children and do field work.

Hevland allows him Alternative Spring Break students to stay at his residence during the week of the program.

The Alternative Spring Break program occurred in the Olympic Peninsula and Eastern Washington regions this year. All students stay in the homes of participating teachers or community members.

The project plan is to have students working in small groups led by a tutor who helps them work on their book. Each of the five days is spent on another step in the bookmaking process: brainstorming, writing, binding, typing and illustrating.

The Alternative Spring Break program is orchestrated by Christine Stickler, director of the Pipeline Program, who said the project allows young people to experience pride that comes from seeing themselves as young authors. Last year, 833 children had the opportunity to participate in creative work, according to Stickler.

This year, 65 students dedicated spring break to these elementary school children, and among them was Bayley Lawrence, a junior majoring in biology.

Last year she participated in the Alternative Spring Break program at Valley View Elementary and came back this year as the team leader.

"If I was in their place I would be excited to have us here because it's like having a big brother or sister to play with," she said. "It's a good way to be a good influence."

Lawrence can speak Spanish, and she believes that it made bonding with the children much easier by helping them relate to her. The fact she came back for a second year gave the students a positive image of college life because she remembered many of their names.

She also sits on the fundraising committee for the program and wants to be the student leader again next year. Lawrence kept track of all the money spent this year so she has an estimate of how much needs to be raised for next year.

The aspect of the program that only selects rural schools in Washington is important, according to Stickler.

"It gives UW students, many of whom are international students, the opportunity to see a different side of Washington," she said. "We also believe that it gives children in these areas the rare opportunity to get to know a college student."

In the end, school children who participate in the Alternative Spring Break program leave with memories of a college student who cared and a book to be proud of.

"This book gives the children an opportunity to break outside the structured box that the education system has made," Banerjee said. "Their creativity has been dropped to the wayside. This has given them a chance to be creative about something they are proud of and passionate about."