Alternative Spring Break Destination with Service Learning Options Including College Credit

Feb. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Choose Moab for an alternative spring break destination to appeal to a high octane fun factor or a highly satisfying service learning opportunity. Moab has four organizations of special note to students seeking service learning with college credit. Those are Community Rebuilds, Rio Mesa Center (Moab's Newest), The Nature Conservancy’s Canyonlands Field Station, and Plateau Restoration. Wilderness Volunteers and Moab Trail Mix are two organizations who understand the pulse of volunteer needs in the Moab community too.

Moab has a Utah State University campus. Staff are affiliated with the Canyonlands Field Station which is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy utilizing the academia assistance of students. With advance planning opportunity for alternative service learning can be designed to enhance the studies at the Canyonlands Field Station which studies the effect of climate on the Colorado Plateau.

The University of Utah has a Field Station near Moab at the Rio Mesa Center. A bath house is being built winter of 2012 to serve a new platform tent camping area to further supplement two bunk houses on the property. The Rio Mesa Center is bordered by the Dolores River. Plan a service learning alternative Spring Break trip to Rio Mesa Center for next year.

Community Rebuilds brings 5 to 6 students into Moab’s community to build a straw bale structure. Applications for Community Rebuild programs occur biannually. Students receive housing and a stipend for food. It may not be spring break but is a tremendous service to bring families in outdated, inefficient mobile homes into forward thinking sustainable homes.

Moab Trail Mix has a need for volunteers throughout the calendar year. Nearly 43 miles of new trails were added to Moab’s inventory at the conclusion of 2011. Tourism is Moab’s chief economy and attention to resources requires year round maintenance and mutual conversation among the administration of National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, County and City Officials, Forest Service, State Trust Lands, Sovereign Lands, and local Moab businesses.
Diverting from Mexico and the beaches typically attractive to students for Spring Break are other interesting segments across the nation. Spring Break 2012 has a number of University Outdoor Programs bringing students in smaller groups with common outdoor designs to Moab Utah. Leaders are typically involved with the university outdoor programs. And Moab Utah has news for students about Alternative Spring Break options involving volunteer services toward communities and/or public lands as with service learning programs.
•   The Office of Student Activities at Regis University shall be in Moab March 3rd-11th to backpack in the Needles District of Canyonlands. A second trip is planned for March 3rd-10th mountain biking.
•   Indiana University Mountain Bikes  during March 9-17 2012.
•   University of Northern Colorado combines camping in Moab and Grand Canyon during a March 10 – 15 2012 sightseeing road trip.
•   University  of Wyoming shall be climbing and canyoneering during March 10 – 16 2012.
•   University of Iowa  Hikes, Bikes, Climbs and Rafts March 10 – 18 2012.
•   The University of Texas at San Antonio will Bike and Climb March 10 – 14 2012 with instruction by campus Outdoor Pursuit staff.
•   Clemson Mountain Bikes during March 16 – 25 2012.
•   Colorado State University takes Spring Break to another level instilling a Service – Learning alternative with Moab’s Plateau Restoration on March 10-17 2012. Your University can potentially earn credits with advance planning too.
•   DePaul University are Wilderness Volunteers on Moab trails providing service with the Moab Bureau of Land Management administrators for March 18-24 2012.
•   University of Utah shall be climbing during March 23 – 24 2012.
•   The College of Idaho plans to camp, hike and bike March 19-23 2012 in Moab.
•   Rice University includes Moab in a trip of the southwest during May 13 – 20 2012.
•   University of Idaho Department of Geological Sciences has a field trip to study geology during May 15 – 20 2012.
•   Wild Rockies Field Institute has a Colorado Plateau Course with 12 credits involving Natural History, Geography, and land issues during a March 22 – May 22 2012.

As an alternative Spring Break destination Moab has many opportunities for students desiring to rest from studies, escape winter and discover an unbelievable region of the United States. Planners can find help with group services in the Moab Area Travel Council. If Moab did not fit into your Spring Plans this year, you definitely have a chance to do the research to organize Spring Break or an Alternative Service Learning project other times of the year in Moab, Utah.

# # #

Moab's Travel Council has gathered the service learning options for Moab Utah to be found in this single document to help students and University leaders discover Moab, not only for the fun adventure aspect of the region, but the land and community issues for which volunteering can make a diffrerence.