Alternative Spring Break

Teams of big-hearted RISD students are in Washington, DC and New York City this week participating in Alternative Spring Break (ASB). Throughout the week, they’re volunteering with social service agencies dedicated to helping young people stay off the streets and out of juvenile prison systems.

Yesterday morning, the group visiting DC facilitated a drawing workshop (pictured below) with teenagers at Sasha Bruce Youthwork, a nonprofit that aids troubled adolescents. “RISD students have been making reciprocal friendships,” notes Andy Jacques, assistant director leadership programs in the Center for Student Involvement. “The types of conversations they’ve been having here will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.”

Holding a bundle of crayons, a young man discussed design concepts with RISD students while filling the pages of his sketchbook with a collection of elaborate sketches. Another girl used the initials of her name to make an eye-catching logo for the apparel company she plans to launch after completing college.

In New York, a group lead by Jared Lafond 12 IL painted a mural at Riker’s Island, the well-known prison complex located just outside the city. The do-gooders also met with youth incarcerated at Crossroads Juvenile Detention Center.

Follow the ASB blog to learn more about this week’s service learning in DC and NYC.