UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Spring break doesn't have to be sandy beaches, bathing suits and partying. For some students in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, it means traveling the globe to help those in need and learn about other cultures.

During the university's spring vacation, March 4-11, a group of 50 students, half of whom are students in the college, will visit the Gulf Coast to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. The trip is part of a three-credit course taught by Jenni James, assistant professor of agricultural economics, Kathleen Kelley, assistant professor of consumer horticulture, and David Riley, associate professor of architectural engineering.

The students will help to clean up and rebuild parks, greenhouses, nurseries and small agribusinesses and will pitch in wherever else they are needed. "They are doing a selfless act on their own time," Kelley says.

As part of the course, the students have learned about the agricultural industry in Louisiana and the impact of disasters on small agribusinesses. During the trip, they will gain hands-on experience in areas such as teamwork and leadership and will develop analytical and problem-solving skills. Kelley says the students have been active in raising funds for the project and donations are still being accepted to help defray the cost of the trip.

Erik Carson, a student majoring in horticulture and turfgrass science, said he was looking for something to do for spring break and felt it appropriate to help people in New Orleans. "I watched the hurricane coverage on TV and I couldn't help then, but now I can, even if it's only a little bit," he says.

Thomas Bruening, associate professor of agricultural and extension education, is teaching a three-credit course this spring titled "Problem Solving in Tropical Agriculture." His students will use a grassroots needs assessment technique known as "Participatory Rural Appraisal." This course, which has been offered at Penn State for more than 20 years, will send 14 students to Puerto Rico, March 3-13, to work with limited-resource farmers in conjunction with the students and faculty at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.

Bruening says the students' primary objective is to learn about Puerto Rican culture, tropical agriculture and the challenges facing farmers with limited resources. "The students really get an inside look at the culture and a better understanding of the production and economic problems that people face in rural areas," he says.

Before the students leave for the trip, they do research on Puerto Rico, give presentations and learn how to conduct a participatory rural appraisal, which is designed to identify needs and resources. "Although the students are only there for a short time, they can act as catalysts to jump start the process for the local farmers," Bruening adds. Another group of 11 undergraduate students, a graduate student, a teaching assistant, two faculty members and a student volunteer will be heading to the Caribbean for spring break. The trip is part of a course covering community development and environmental issues of Belize, co-taught by Frank Higdon, senior lecturer in agricultural economics and rural sociology, and Leland Glenna, assistant professor of rural sociology.

Divided into student-led project teams, the class will perform two projects in two different coastal communities. Higdon says four students will work with high school students to promote reef conservation with Green Reef, a nonprofit organization that operates the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. Eight other students will build a community garden and install an irrigation and drainage system with primary school children in the Garifuna village of Seine Bight.

Seth Doman, a junior majoring in agricultural systems management, says he decided to go because he wanted to do something for others during the vacation. Doman is helping with the garden and irrigation system.

"I wanted to go somewhere where I can get a tan and there is sun, but also help people and get a life-long experience," Doman says. Students in another three-credit course, "Strategies for Sustainability: Case Studies from Peru," study ancient and current agricultural practices and agrobiodiversity in Peru. The course is co-taught by Heather Karsten, associate professor of crop production and ecology, and Frances Hayashida, assistant professor of anthropology. During spring break, the class travels to Peru to see firsthand how these farming practices have sustained the people for centuries in the challenging Andean environment.

"The students will visit the International Potato Research Center in Lima, Peru, which is a large potato and tuber crop preserve and research center," says Karsten. "Many of these crops have never been cultivated outside of South America."

The students will also visit some agricultural research and community projects, and some archeological sites, including Machu Picchu.

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Writer: Bethany Fehlinger, brf5002@psu.edu.

Chuck Gill Editor office: 814-863-2713 e-mail: cdg5@psu.edu