Two teams consisting of 30 Fresno State students will partner with local organizations to provide more than 700 hours of service during spring break, April 3 through 6. This marks the 13th year of the university’s Alternative Spring Break program, sponsored by the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning at Fresno State.
The first team — led by student leaders Sydney Firstman and Angela Soghomonian — will lead a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) Camp at Stone Soup, an organization that provides support and resources to the Hmong community in Fresno.
In partnership with the on-campus organization Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA), volunteers will help run a three-day educational STEAM Camp serving 40 children in grades two through six. On the final day, the team will lead a Fresno State campus tour in collaboration with Fresno State Outreach.
The second team — led by students Abbas Dadawalla and Mark Soghomonian — will engage in habitat restoration projects at Scout Island, an 85-acre outdoor educational center under the direction of Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. Students will restore habitats for the local wildlife and clear gardening spaces for native plant species to thrive.
At the conclusion of each day, team members will participate in reflection activities to promote learning and strengthen the students’ personal and professional development.
For more information, contact Richter Center special projects coordinator Renee Delport at rdelport@csufresno.edu or 559.278.7079.
(Story by Renee Delport)
