Ten UTM students will have the opportunity to dedicate their spring break to giving back to communities in Chattanooga through UTM’s new Alternative Spring Break program.
“The Alternative Spring Break program is an incredible way to expose our students to community needs in other areas,” Chancellor Keith Carver said.“This trip will immerse them into issues in Chattanooga and give them exposure to a variety of community issues.”
From March 1-6, participants will volunteer with the local program Operation Get Active. This initiative uses soccer to promote healthy lives among the youth of Chattanooga. The nearly four-year old program has taught teamwork and communication skills to more than 1,400 diverse children through exercise and sport. UTM students will help with the program by assisting coaches when needed, interacting with the children and administering lunches.
A secondary service project will also help promote healthy lifestyles at Chattanooga’s Orchard Knob Elementary School. Participants will cook with the children during an after-school program to encourage good nutrition as well as assist with activities that encourage physical activity.
The spring break program, which is modeled after similar programs at the University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis, will feature evening sessions to reflect on the importance of the services the team are doing. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to explore the city of Chattanooga and see local attractions such as the Tennessee Aquarium.
Alternative Spring Break is the final project of the current senior class of UTM’s Ned Ray McWherter Institute. The institute guides students to follow its vision of building a better tomorrow for the region, nation and world in the footsteps of the late Governor Ned Ray McWherter. Seniors are challenged with developing a sustainable community service project that promotes this vision.
“It has been so fun to watch this project come to life. It all started with an idea, and now it’s actually happening,” Mary Lane Minatra, NRMI innovator and agriculture business major from Rockvale, TN, said.
To combat the challenge of sustainability, the group has worked with the chancellor’s offices at both UTM and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) to create a continuing partnership for the program. The class, which is composed of Brooke Boshers, Stone Craft, John Fritts, Minatra, Kalen Royal, Savannah Stanley and Erin Young, hopes to create a long-lasting program that will continue after each of them graduate.
“I can’t wait to see the impact we can make on Chattanooga and Martin,” Stanley, a cell and molecular biology major from Mt. Juliet, said. “I hope we can continue to give our time to others every spring break and that the ball we started rolling will never stop.”
Although a portion of the costs are being sponsored by UTM’s Office of Student Life, attendees will be asked to a pay a fee around $200 to offset the costs of food and lodging. To attend, you must be a full-time student at UTM in good academic standing. The online application, titled “2020 Alternative Spring Break Application,” can be found under “Forms” on Runway. The deadline to apply is 3 p.m., Feb. 17.
