On the road to making a difference

 Students have the opportunity to participate in a once in a lifetime spring break trip that combines having a good time and making a difference.  Students Today Leaders Forever (STLF), a service and leadership organization on campus, is planning a Pay it Forward Tour bus trip over spring break this year.

The Pay it Forward Tour is a nine-day, multi-city trip across the United States that ends in Charleston, S.C.  It's a great way to volunteer, meet new friends and make a difference at the same time.  

"Each day the bus will stop in a different city and everyone participates in a service project," explained Ashley Bishop, STLF chapter core.  

Every day starts bright and early with breakfast.  Then students will participate in a service project such as painting, working with people or yard work.  At the service project site, students will be served lunch.  Once the service project is finished, the tour will continue on to the next city, where students will participate in scheduled activities or free time.  The day will end with sleep at places such as YMCAs, churches or community centers.  

After the fifth city, the tour heads to Charleston, where students will meet up with other schools and participate in a large service project.   Students will stay in hotels for two nights and there will be ample time to explore and go to the beach.  There will also be a celebration in which each bus will share their experiences with each other.  

The tour is over the UW-L spring break, leaving March 11 and returning March 19.  The total cost of the tour is $440, which includes travel, lodging, two meals a day, two T-shirts and enrichment activities such as bowling, laser tag and mini golf.  

Students will be able to choose which tour bus they would like to go on.  The first tour bus will be visiting Champaign, Ill., Springfield, Tenn., Atlanta, Ga., Jasper Fla., and Wilmington Island, Ga.  The second tour bus is the mystery tour, in which students won't know what cities they will be visiting until the day that they arrive.

"The Pay it Forward Tour is a wonderful way for students to meet new friends, see other parts of the U.S., volunteer in new communities and learn more about others and themselves," said Bishop,"Many of the structured activities we do focus on building friendships and looking at new perspectives. They can have much impact."  

This is STLF's second year at the UW-L campus.  This year they have expanded to two tour buses that hold 40 students each.  Ten UW-L students have been coordinating this trip and there are still spots available.  To sign up for the tour go to www.stlf.net, click on "find more chapters," and choose UW-La Crosse.