SCAD Serve offers an ‘Alternative Spring Break’

Written by Perrin Smith

Each year, SCAD Serve partners with a non-profit organization in the Southeast in order to facilitate community service and portfolio-building opportunities for students over Spring Break. This year, SCAD Serve has partnered with Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore project.

Alternative Spring Break is targeted at students who are unable to go back home during SCAD’s short Spring Break and those who still want to be artistically productive, as well as students who wish to give back to the community SCAD is a part of. Students from all majors were welcome to apply, however, only about 15 students are chosen each year.

In years past, Serve has partnered with a multitude of nonprofit organizations, including the Savannah Children’s Theatre and Memorial Children’s Hospital. Each year, SCAD Serve aims to do the very action their name claims: serve. This year’s choice is Habitat’s ReStore, which is, according to their website “part home improvement store, part homegoods store, and part resale store.” All profits are given to Habitat for Humanity to aid in community service.

“The word ‘Habitat’ makes you think of building arts, but there is room for every major,” said Lauren Slaydon, advisor for SCAD Serve and assistant director of student involvement.

This year’s chosen students will be given several exciting tasks. Some of these tasks include creating signage for Habitat’s ReStore facility, as well as their trucks, and to refurbish and create art for their facility space. Habitat and SCAD Serve are asking the question “What does it mean to build office spaces?” To answer this, students will be working directly with their clients and designing offices unique and individual to them.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that builds homes for working families in the Savannah community. To date, 143 homes have been built for Savannah residents. Habitat for Humanity uses funds from ReStore sales in order to feed back into the Savannah community.

Lauren Slaydon and representatives from SCAD Serve are excited about the potential this Alternative Spring Break holds as a continued effort, lasting longer than this year’s Spring Break, stating, “This is a big impact in 5 days, but a continued one for months to come.” SCAD will be in a position to continuously give back to the Savannah area through Habitat for Humanity and the ReStore facility.

SCAD Serve is not only an opportunity for an Alternative Spring Break, they also have community service programs and events all year and every weekend. SCAD Serve urges students to get involved with a chance to give back to Savannah, in addition to building a portfolio.

“SCAD Serve is an excellent opportunity to meet other people,” says Zoya Hasib, special events coordinator for SCAD Serve. “It’s a new experience every time, and all you have to do is show up and you will meet people of similar interests.”

This year’s Alternative Spring Break project will take place from March 18 to March 22, 2019.

***Featured Image Credit: SCAD Serve***