A group of students will bypass the beaches and parties and instead enjoy a week of exploring and volunteering in Detroit during Wayne State’s Alternative Spring Break Detroit (ASBD).

ASBD will run from March 13-18 in what ASBD Advisor and Assistant Director of Student Involvement Brandon Shamoun believes is the 20th year of the program.

The plan is to return to an in-person format after being virtual last year, but Shamoun said that the final decision will be made in the next few weeks.

“When we are in person, it’s typically a lock-in program where students arrive Sunday and don’t leave until Friday,” Shamoun said. “They spend the entire week together volunteering and giving back to the city.

“There's a lot of opportunity for showcasing and trying different restaurants in the area. We also have time for recreation so students get to organically meet one another.”

Alternative Spring Break is done by students at universities across the country, many of whom travel to different locations to volunteer. But ASBD is always held in Detroit and Shamoun said the volunteer work, restaurants and even the swag are all typically from Detroit-based businesses.

“I think it's really important to give back to our backyard and the many other city neighborhoods,” Shamoun said. “Wayne State is in Midtown, and our students typically know this area and probably downtown, too. We try to go into other neighborhoods of Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck to ensure our support in these areas as well.

“It gives our students a foot in the door, and the organizations can allow them to come back after the program and continue to do volunteer work. We hope that it's not just a one-time thing, that our students really understand the importance and change their views on the city. We want them to continue doing these things during their time at Wayne State and beyond.”

ASBD normally has around 60 students, including the student leaders and coordinators. On most days, they volunteer as a large group in the morning, have lunch and are broken into teams to hit other spots later in the day.

Wayne State senior and ASBD student coordinator Sara Ellias attended her first ASBD as a freshman and enjoyed it so much that she came back the next two years as a team lead and is now one of the two student coordinators this year.

“The volunteer opportunities are really unique because they are really integrated within the city,” Ellias said. “The work that we do feels impactful. It doesn’t feel like we’re volunteering just to check off a box or something.

“It's really special that students at Wayne State have the opportunity to stay in Detroit, because you can build relationships with the nonprofits that you work with. And honestly, it's just such an amazing opportunity, like staying overnight with a bunch of people; it’s so much fun. You really get to explore the city.”

Wayne State doctoral student Niharika Dantuluri is unsure if this is her fifth or sixth year being part of ASBD, but she’s excited to be back for another year and serve as a coordinator with Ellias, who she met at a past ASBD.

“I've had a new experience every single time,” Dantuluri said. “We try to cover different themes that include things like arts and culture, diversity and inclusion, food and housing stability, etc.”

Dantuluri enjoys the volunteering aspect of ASBD, but has also met some lifelong friends.

“A lot of the people I met at ASBD I'm still in contact with,” Dantuluri said. “I don't talk to them every day, but I don't need to; I can always reach out. And there's always just been that connection. It was there even when I finished undergrad and started my doctoral program.”

Shamoun agrees that it’s a great opportunity for students to meet other people they might not meet otherwise.

“We have a lot of students that say in the pre-assessment that say they don't have a lot of friends at Wayne State or they don't really know Detroit that well,” Shamoun said. “We get a lot of students that maybe are not involved at all, and students who are doing something with the university outside of the classroom for the first time.

“Yeah, some might be coming to add it to their resume or to get a letter of recommendation, but I think what they get out of it is a lot greater than that. I think gaining the friendships and the networking is a huge component, and it creates that sense of belonging on campus.”

Spots for ASBD are limited and students who are interested must apply at doso.wayne.edu/asbd.