The Rice University Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program empowers Rice students to engage with each other and communities through education, service, and advocacy. The program gets its name from the immersive trip during spring break, but students begin their engagement locally starting in November and work together through April. Immersion trips will be held regionally (within driving distance of Houston) and run for the duration of the Spring Break week in March 2025. Regardless of location, participants will gain awareness of a social justice issue through in-depth training and will further engage with the issue alongside community partners locally and across the U.S. Throughout this experience, student groups learn about the value of critical reflection, connecting with others through meaningful dialogue, and community collaboration.

9 out of 10 US job employers depend on bilingual employees, yet the history of linguistic diversity in the United States is almost nothing more than discriminatory. Today, we are investigating the root causes of heritage language loss in the U.S. and promoting sustainable, research-based dual language education models that empower communities and preserve linguistic identity across generations.