Instead of sunbathing, you’re saving sea turtles. Instead of staying up all night, you’re rising at dawn. Instead of destroying a hotel room, you’re building a school.

Alternative spring break programs, in which students dedicate their week to an intensive volunteer project, can match any interest: gardening, construction, education, healthcare or wildlife preservation. Wherever you go, you’ll end the week with a feeling of accomplishment and gratitude.

Factors to consider in choosing an alternative spring break program

• Cost: This is the big one. There’s almost always a fee to participate in a volunteer spring break, which covers program fees, lodging, meals and transportation. Why pay to volunteer? Well, by covering your own costs, you’re helping the organization accomplish its mission. International programs often cost around $1,500, not including airfare, while many U.S.-based spring breaks cost around $400-$500.
• Distance: Popular alternative spring break destinations include Mexico and Central America, because airfare is affordable and the cost of living is low. You can also volunteer in far-flung countries like Nepal or Romania, but these programs usually expect commitments longer than one week.
• Effectiveness: You can’t save the world in a week, but you should end your alternative spring break with a sense that you’ve accomplished something — not merely enjoyed a vacation with a veneer of volunteerism.
• Fun factor: Even the most intense volunteer experience should include a little recreation. It’s a good thing if the itinerary builds in some time to hit the beach or explore a nearby town.

We’ve found six alternative break destinations you’ll never forget.

1. Protecting sea turtles in Mexico

You get to spend spring break on the beaches of Mexico… but you’re patrolling the sand by moonlight to protect sea turtle eggs from poachers and predators. Projects Abroad offers a one-week alternative spring break in Guadalajara that’s spent guarding turtles, caring for crocodiles and conducting wildlife surveys. “If any eggs hatch while you are at the project, you can help release the hatchlings into the sea,” the program promises.¹

2. Supporting military families in Fort Hood, Texas

Located between Austin and Waco, Fort Hood is the largest military installation in the world. Break a Difference organizes an alternative spring break that involves volunteering after-school programs for the children of military families and sprucing up community parks.² This isn’t a luxury experience: Meals are modest, and volunteers sleep in an open gym provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Central Texas. The program isn’t nonstop work, though. The week includes leadership training, a scavenger hunt and trips into town.

3. Granting a small town’s wishes in Quepos, Costa Rica

Most visitors to Manuel Antonio National Park only see the fun side of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast: the beaches, the bars, the howler monkeys. Spending spring break in the nearby town of Quepos gives students a different experience, as they get to know the Costa Rican people and help improve their lives. GVI USA’s volunteer spring break program in Quepos changes according to the town’s current needs. “You might find yourself building new shelves for the local library, jazzing up the local community centre with a fresh coat of paint, or working alongside locals to add to the expansion of the town’s communal garden,” GVI says.³ Don’t worry — beach time is built in.

4. Clearing trails in Ojai, California

The American Hiking Society operates dozens of volunteer spring break programs in the U.S. each year, in which small groups spend their days sawing fallen logs and shifting boulders to keep trails in good shape. Sound like hard work? It is. One of the toughest programs is in Los Padres National Forest, which requires participants to backpack three miles to base camp. But hard work has its rewards. This program includes a day trip to Santa Cruz Island, where volunteers may get to see migrating gray whales and calves.⁴

5. Working with needy children in Peru

One of the greatest gifts you can give any child is time and attention. In one alternative spring break program run by United Planet, volunteers spend their time with abused, abandoned, or orphaned children. You may help them with homework, teach them English, or just spend time playing with them. Basic Spanish is required.⁵

6. Serving Syrian refugees in Greece

As of 2017, tens of thousands of Syrian refugees remain in refugee camps in Greece as they wait for asylum, enduring temperature extremes and leaking, crowded tents.⁶ You can help make things better in Cross-Cultural Solutions’ alternative spring break serving these refugees. Volunteer opportunities include building needed infrastructure in the camps; helping entertain and educate children; and distributing food and supplies. (Volunteers must be at least 23 to participate in this alternative spring break program.) Participants live in shared rooms in the nearby town of Chalkida, where, CCS says, “you'll find plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in Greek life as you straddle two cultures between the town of Chalkida and the nearby refugee camps.”⁷

Wherever your volunteering takes you, it’s vital to protect yourself with travel insurance. A robust travel insurance plan from Allianz Global Assistance can save your trip with benefits like emergency medical coverage, emergency medical transportation, lost/stolen baggage coverage, trip cancellation/interruption coverage, and more.

Richmond-based travel writer Muriel Barrett has a terrible sense of direction, and has spent many happy hours getting lost in Barcelona, Venice and Jerusalem. Her favorite travel memories all involve wildlife: watching sea turtles nest in Costa Rica, kayaking with seals in Vancouver and meeting a pink tarantula in Martinique.

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