SUNY Oswego Staycation Students Benefitting The Community

SUNY OSWEGO – While many college students return home for spring break or head south to enjoy warm weather and sandy beaches with friends, a group of SUNY Oswego students have opted for an alternative break, a staycation in their college community.

“The idea of alternative breaks began several years ago when a group of students decided they wanted to find ways to help the community,” said Service-Learning Coordinator at SUNY Oswego Jennifer Joyce. “Originally led by the students, Alternative Breaks is now housed in the student affairs department and organized by staff. The Alternative Breaks program allows students to serve local organizations when they are not in classes and connect with the community outside of campus.”

To date the students in the Alternate Breaks Staycation program have been busy volunteering for a number of projects; one of which was doing interior painting at Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Transitional Living home in Fulton. Joyce joined a group of four students including; Senior Technology Management major Sat Kpadea, Senior Journalism major Josie Taylor, Senior Creative Writing major Te’Zariah Hazell, and senior Economics major Xin Liu as they spent a day painting several rooms in the house.

In addition to their work at OCO’s Transitional Living home, the students worked with SUNY Oswego’s Sustainability department to wrap up its Maple on Tap program. They cleaned up the 100 tree sugar bush collection site located near campus which included removing invasive plants that could damage the sugar bush, removing and cleaning the taps, and cleaning the collection buckets. They also volunteered their time and talents to Habitat for Humanity and Blessings in a Backpack.

“The Staycation in particular allows our students to build connections that they may not have known existed within the Oswego broader community, said Program Coordinator for SUNY Oswego’s Civic Engagement and Community Services. Kelsey Jones. “It also provides the opportunity to take experiences in the classroom that extra step into action. All of the Alternative Break programs focus on differing social issues allowing our students to take their passions into action in real time.”

For the students the Alternative Break has proved to be a satisfying and educational experience.  “I really enjoyed giving back to the community,” said Taylor. “It was rewarding to help such worthwhile organizations as OCO. And being from Brooklyn, working at the Sugar Bush was great experience!”

Both Kpadea and Hazell echoed those thoughts.

“This is the second time I participated in the Alternative Breaks program. It was interesting to learn what’s involved in producing maple syrup. They even invited back for breakfast so we could enjoy some fresh, homemade maple syrup,” said Kpadea.

“This was my first Alternative Break experience and I loved it!” said Hazell. “It was fun and it was a great way to help out the community.”

Part of OCO’s Mental Health Transitional Living Program, OCO’s Transitional Living Home is one of several housing options that provide residential and psychiatric rehab in a home like and supportive atmosphere. The program is intended to assist adults 18 and older in redeveloping independent living skills and transitioning to an independent living setting of their own.

“We were happy to hear from Kelsey,” said Transitional Living Coordinator Jessica Hotaling. “The students did an excellent job. The Alternative Breaks Staycation option a real win-win, the students enjoyed helping us and the interior of our house has never looked more appealing.”

For more information on OCO’s Transitional Living program visit www.oco.org.

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