News

This March, a group of Cleveland Institute of Art students will join in the time-honored tradition of taking spring break someplace warm. But their trip won’t involve bikinis and parties. Instead, for the fifth year in a row, representatives of CIA’s Community Service Club will travel to New Orleans for a week of community service.

During the weeklong Alternative Spring Break trip, which begins March 6, twelve students will spend three days building a house, one-day gardening and planting, and one day repainting a school gymnasium. The house build is coordinated through the St. Bernard Project, which helps Hurricane Katrina survivors return to their homes and communities.

“I think St. Bernard’s is excited about having art students volunteer,” said LeAnn Galea, assistant director of student life and campus programming at CIA. “Our students have some skills other volunteers don’t when it comes to artistry and hands-on abilities.”

To prepare students for the trip, Galea coordinated a series of information sessions. The group discussed the importance of service learning, and an artist’s need to decide what and how to contribute to society. They also talked about the history of New Orleans and the current socioeconomic issues that have affected the city’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

The twelve student participants have all demonstrated a strong commitment to the Community Service Club and service learning in general. “They’re very conscious of their community,” said Galea.

Pictured: (left) Abby Blake ’14 and Chelsea Myers ’11 assemble pocket tacos for a fundraiser; (right) Cassandra Opaskar ’14 helps at a bake sale fundraiser