BOONE, N.C. — During fall break, 29 students, staff and faculty gave back to organizations in North Carolina and Georgia by participating in Alternative Service Experience (ASE) programs offered through Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT) — part of Appalachian State University’s Division of Student Affairs.
During fall break, groups participated in three ASE programs: Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Sanctuary in Providence; Camp Twin Lakes’ You B You Camp for autistic children and their families in Winder, Georgia; and Charlotte-based human trafficking and women’s rights organizations Cabarrus Victims Assistance Network (CVAN), Safe Alliance and Lily Pad Haven.
Appalachian’s ASE programs provide opportunities for service, learning and exploration. Within each ASE program, Appalachian faculty and staff members acted as Learning Partners and fellow students served as Peer Leaders as they worked alongside community organizations to support service projects.
This photo gallery highlights the many service and learning opportunities through which students, faculty and staff used their fall break to make a difference beyond the Appalachian Community.
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About the Alternative Service Experience Program
The Alternative Service Experience Program immerses students in a service experience in local, domestic and international communities. Its trips are created and led by trained student peer leaders and involve direct service to a community, purposeful reflection and relationship building with fellow students. All focus on a particular social issue such as homelessness, the environment or youth. The program was honored in 2017 with being ranked 10th in the nation for the number of alternative break programs it offered in 2015-16 by Break Away, a national nonprofit organization that supports the development of quality alternative break programs. Learn more at https://ase.appstate.edu.
About the Division of Student Affairs
The Division of Student Affairs at Appalachian State University is committed to the development of lifelong learners and leaders by engaging and challenging students within a culture of care and inclusion. The division consists of 16 units that offer activities and services to help students develop more fully by becoming global learners, fostering healthy relationships, appreciating diversity and different perspectives, understanding community responsibility, enhancing self-awareness, developing autonomy and living ethically. These units include the Career Development Center, Campus Activities, Office of Community-Engaged Leadership, Wellness and Prevention Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Service, Parent and Family Services, University Housing, Student Conduct, University Recreation, Intercultural Student Affairs, Student Legal Clinic and Off-Campus Student Services, Electronic Student Services, Child Development Center, and Staff Development and Strategic Initiatives. Learn more at https://studentaffairs.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
