While some work on their tans this spring break, other Penn State students will be working on rebuilding areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Doing Our Part, a State College organization of professionals, professors and students, will sponsor a trip to Long Beach, Miss., to prepare Little League baseball fields for the upcoming season.

Perry Babb, chairman for the organization, said although most people in areas hit by Katrina are now settled into some form of temporary housing, the need for help continues.

"The attention now turns to rebuilding public buildings such as police stations and libraries," he said.

Babb added that interest in the trip has been strong among Penn State students so far. He said he expects dozens of Penn Staters to take part. Sign-ups are continuing online at www.statecollege.com/doing_our_part.

Babb added that it is not necessary to have special skills for the spring break trip, which will include work such as painting and landscaping.

"We are just in need of people who want to work hard," Babb said.

He estimates the cost for the trip, which includes food and lodging, to be about $150 per student.

Doing Our Part will also take volunteers to Bayou La Batre, the area of Alabama hit hardest by Katrina. Babb said that about 800 of the 1,200 homes in the area were flooded and that much of the town was under 8 feet of water. Doing Our Part will lead three waves of volunteers to Alabama between Feb. 6 and 15.

In Bayou La Batre, teams will work to renovate the local police station. Skilled workers or those experienced with drywall, plumbing or tile are sought for the Alabama trip. Organizers are also accepting donations of building materials.

Doing Our Part has made several relief trips to the Gulf Coast, with Penn State students comprising about half of the participants.

Two teams have already visited Long Beach, Miss., where they worked to preserve the public library's book collection. Volunteers brought 6,000 book volumes back to State College and moved another 6,000 to safety. They also did demolition and clean up work in preparation for repairs they will return to do later this spring.

The new Schlow Memorial Library has already donated its previous shelving and furniture to the reconstruction effort.

"Schlow has donated enough shelving and furniture to refurnish three libraries," Babb said.

Nicole Kauffman (graduate-food services) attended the library relief trip in November.

"I wouldn't have traded my Thanksgiving break for any other experience," Kauffman said. "It was amazing to see the destruction, but also the faces of the Long Beach residents who were so thankful."

Jenny Fang (sophomore-human development and family studies), who attended the same trip, said it "was really eye-opening."

"We had our Thanksgiving meal with the rest of the town in a church parking lot," she said.

Aaron Hayes (senior-telecommunications), who worked on the library during winter break, said he would like to go back to do more work.

"The people in the Gulf Coast have a long way to go in recovery," Hayes said.