Marblehead Teens Make A Difference During Alternative Spring Break

For a fourth consecutive year, teens from across the North Shore joined the North Shore Teen Initiative to volunteer with Wake County Habitat for Humanity during their 2014 spring break.

This year, 27 teens participated in Habitat’s national alternative break program, Collegiate Challenge. 

“NSTI is thrilled to work with Habitat and Collegiate Challenge on this exceptional program to do important work, learn new skills and help people who are reaching toward home ownership,” said NSTI Executive Director Adam Smith.  “This is North Shore Teen Initiative’s fourth time volunteering with Habitat for Humanity during spring break to build affordable housing. Teen interest in making a difference in really significant ways continues to grow.”

The NSTI teens traveled to Raleigh, N.C., on Feb. 16, leaving snow, wind and below-freezing temperatures for 65-degree days. 

As part of Habitat’s credo to “reduce, reuse and recycle,” they started the week working on a deconstruction project, salvaging wood from a demolished home that would later be reused. The following three days were spent working on new homes, including weatherproofing, building floors, painting interiors and more.

For the past 25 years, more than 197,000 students have spent their school breaks volunteering across the country through this Habitat for Humanity program. 


“My generation has a great sense of urgency about the need for volunteers. We don’t want to be passive; we want to use our time well and have a say in our future,” said Dave Burdick, a senior at Marblehead High School and third-year Habitat/NSTI volunteer.

The North Shore Teen Initiative (NSTI) is an organization committed to building community among Jewish teens through institutional collaboration, a rich spectrum of innovative programming and participation in national opportunities. 

To learn more about all of NSTI’s opportunities for social action, community collaboration, leadership development, immersion, travel and fun, visit www.nsteeninitiative.org and www.facebook.com/nsti18, email at info@nsteeniniative.org or call 781.244.5544.