Members of Cover Africa, a student group dedicated to fighting malaria in Africa, spent a night sleeping on the arts quad in September — a symbolic act to demonstrate the rampant spread of malaria in many regions in Africa. Many student groups, like Cover Africa, use the arts quad as a means of spreading information as they advocate for different causes.

But recently, some student groups — at Cornell and across the country — have opted to do more than spread information on campus. Student organizations, including Cover Africa, have made trips around the country and around the world to participate more directly to advance the causes they advocate for on campus. Since 1994, schools affiliated with Campus Compact, an affiliation comprising more than 900 colleges and universities that advocate for public service, have doubled the number of alternate break trips.

Cover Africa members will, for the third time, travel to Ghana this January to help educate locals on the prevention and spread of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. There will be two trips lasting for two-and-a-half weeks each.

According to Ojus Patil ’11, treasurer of Cover Africa, the group distributes and repairs mosquito nets, oversees a program that educates local children ages nine to 14 on prevention of, risks of, and facts on Malaria and conducts a survey that measures the local level of malaria knowledge.

Also, according to Patil, in order to pay for travel expenses, members fundraise, work with NGO’s and apply for grants. Last year’s trips were fully funded by student fundraisers.

“We want people who genuinely want to help, not just those who can afford to go,” Patil said.

According to Fernando Montejo ’10, president of the Association of Peruvians at Cornell and Treasurer of Minority Organization of Architecture, Art and Planning, many clubs with minority students in particular have lead service learning projects during the past few semesters.

“Many students have encouraged their clubs to give back to [the students’] home countries,” Montejo said.

Even in the middle of a recession, members of groups such as the Cornell Caribbean Students Association Dance Ensemble are still willing to engage in service trips, even if it means providing their own funding. According to Jillian Greenaway ’10, co-president of CCSADE, the organization not only raises awareness of Caribbean dance and music, but it also regularly volunteers its services to diverse groups on campus, within the community and throughout the nation.

“I went to Tangelo Park, Fla. for spring break last semester. ... On this particular trip, we served as teacher assistants to elementary school kids and mentors to high school teenagers,” Greenaway said. “It was a very fulfilling experience because we learned so much about the children, teachers, community and ourselves.”

Through Public Service Center, according to Greenaway, CCSADE was able to contact the schools in Florida about volunteering. Also, participants were responsible for paying a down payment and their own plane tickets.

Greenaway encourages all members of CCSADE and any student to see service learning as an opportunity to learn and develop through active involvement in organized service initiatives that meet a community’s needs.

Last year, student organization Jamaica Difference traveled to the island of Jamaica to find where help was needed most. According to jamaicadifference.com, the group met with professors from the University of West Indies, the vice president of the University of Technology, rural and urban community organizations, government agencies and civic and business associations in order to learn more about the challenges in Jamaica.

“We’ve identified altruistic organizations on the island, which include schools, community centers, women’s groups, trade organizations, etc. and have begun executing long-term projects with them,” said Ebony Ray ’10, president of Jamaica Difference.

According to Montejo, Jamaica Difference members participate in these service programs to produce “tangible results and acquaint them with the nation’s history and its present challenges.”

Additionally, Hillel, the umbrella organization for Jewish student groups on campus, will be leading a volunteering trip in Nicaragua during winter break, New Orleans during spring break and Ukraine during summer break. According to Orly Halpern, engagement associate of Hillel, while in Nicaragua, 14 students from the University will be helping to build an adult education center. In New Orleans, the organization plans on sending 14 students to work with Hillel members from across the nation in rebuilding houses destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. In Ukraine, 20 members will help local Jewish communities by working with Ukrainian college students. Last year’s trip to Ukraine consisted of helping repair elderly homes and rebuilding community centers.

“The idea is to come back to the campus and spread awareness, recruit more students and continue to work for the causes of the different service trips,” Halpern said.