While some students are headed to warm locations to work on their tans, others will receive credit by dedicating their time in the sun to community service and learning about other cultures.

Students enrolled in Agroecology 479H (Strategies for Sustainability: Case Studies from Peru) will travel to Peru for a hands-on study of archaeological sites and biodiversity in various agricultural regions.

Heather Karsten, associate professor in the College of Agriculture and trip coordinator, said learning about cultures of ancient civilizations will enable students to better understand agriculture biodiversity and sustainability.

The group will visit two locations to recognize the differences in agriculture that develop due to the varying altitudes of the Peruvian landscape, she said.

Students will travel to the International Potato Center, outside of Lima, to learn about the lowlands' agriculture and the primary role that the potato has played as a sustainable food crop.

While visiting this region, the students will meet farmers, learn about local culture and even try some traditional foods.

"Alpacas and guinea pigs are a local delicacy," Johanna Mirenda (junior- horticulture) said.

The group will also visit Cusco, which is a town located in the highlands of the Andes Mountains.

They will visit the famous Inca ruins of Machu Pichu and see how the Incas used terraces to flatten fields in the highlands and grow crops, primarily maize.

Another group of students in INTAG 481 (Problem Solving in Tropical Agriculture) is traveling to Puerto Rico. These students are working with student counterparts at the University of Puerto Rico to perform a Participatory Rural Appraisal, which is an internationally-recognized-grassroots-needs assessment program.

Thomas Bruening, associate professor in Agricultural Sciences and trip coordinator, said the students will collect data by surveying and talking with local farmers and farm service agencies about their agricultural production.

The class will then do an analysis of the land and develop a report before meeting with the farmers, agencies and other students to present their results, he said.

"We are just a catalyst as we are trying to help local people coalesce around an issue that they feel is important," he added.

Students in Rural Sociology 497A (Belize Field Research) will participate in a similar initiative in Belize.

While one group will be studying and monitoring the marine ecology of reefs near San Pedro with an environmental club at a local high school, another will be assisting elementary students construct a community garden in Seine Bight.

The group will be teaching youth about soil management, nutrients and composting, among other important methods to maintain a healthy and productive garden. They will also construct a drip irrigation system for the garden.

"We're teaching kids about agriculture so they can take the knowledge home to their families and have a better understanding of sources for food," Seth Doman (junior-agriculture systems management), chief designer of the irrigation system, said.

The students participated in a three-credit class during the fall semester where they formed teams, planned the projects, did research and developed a proposal, Frank Higdon, senior lecturer in agricultural ecology and rural sociology and trip coordinator, said.

When the students return, they will complete their class requirements by writing reports and sending lesson plans back to Seine Bight to help implement better science programs in schools.

"I wanted to do something more with my spring break than just going to South Beach or Mexico so that I could help other people and use what I know," Doman said. "Besides, it's not like I won't be able to get a tan."