…But some students are finding that alternative spring breaks offer a more rewarding experience — here or abroad — building houses, teaching English, working toward a better environment or merely playing with children in an orphanage.

According to Campus Compact, which promotes volunteer work, almost two-thirds of colleges nationwide offer alternative spring breaks to students. Break Away, another group that promotes community service, noted that nearly 35,000 students nationwide participated in some kind of alternative program during what otherwise would have been a time of revelry.