A group of Ferguson leaders are urging college students to forego their beach vacations this spring break and to participate in something more meaningful.
The Guardian reports that activists in the Missouri town are asking that 250 college students sign up for an alternative spring break to help register voters, run food banks and clean up streets damaged by the #BlackLivesMatter protests
“This is not, ‘Come party in St. Louis and take a selfie at the Mike Brown memorial,'” Patricia Bynes, a Ferguson Democratic committeewoman, said to the Guardian. “This is about giving back to the community.”
The program will run over five week-long sessions, from mid-March to April. Participants are asked to secure their own travel to Ferguson and to pay a $100 fee, which will cover lodging, food and transportation around the city for the week.
“The protests have got us here,” Bynes said. “The next step is to target the ballot box, to get people elected and to change policy. Students should take that back to their college campuses and build an infrastructure. There is plenty to do.”
Students can register for the program now through Feb. 25. Visit the website for more information.