Mention “spring break,” and images of beaches and wild parties may come to mind for many, but Miami University Hamilton’s Center for Civic Engagement has been trying to break that cliche by encouraging students to “STAYcation” instead.

Last week, rather than spend their spring break relaxing or playing video games, seven MUH students opted to spend their time immersed in learning about the community and ways to help break the cycle of poverty.

Chris Klefeker, the center’s coordinator for service-learning and volunteerism, points out that these student are not typical, but could be.

“These were all non-traditional students,” she said. “They all have jobs and three of them have children at home. They all had to make special arrangements to participate in STAYcation, so this proves that even very busy, committed people can give up four days and three nights to serve the community.”

But it’s more than just feeling good about oneself or trying to help those in need. Recent studies have shown that there is a correlation between volunteerism and the overall health of a community.

A 2011 study by the National Conference on Citizenship titled “Civic Health and Unemployment: Can Engagement Strengthen the Community?” indicates that states and localities with more civic engagement saw less growth in unemployment between 2006 and 2010.

“This was true even after adjusting for the economic factors that others have found to predict unemployment rates over this period,” the report said.

While the report is quick to point out that the correlation doesn’t prove that volunteerism lowers unemployment, it does suggest having stronger civic health helps states weather recessions better because a civically-engaged community helps its citizens develop skills, establish networks, spread information and feel more attached to their community.

Communities “with stronger civil societies are more likely to have good governments,” the study said.

Sarah Woiteshek, director of the Center for Community Engagement, said that more than 15 agencies and civic organizations participated in the STAYcation experience, giving the participating students a background of knowledge about Hamilton, its history and its network of helping institutions, but also gave them hands-on experience in volunteer situations at the Boys and Girls Clubs, Shared Harvest FoodBank, the Open Door Pantry and St. Raphael’s Social Service Center.

The group also participated in hunger and poverty simulations in which they had to feed themselves one night only with the bags of food a family that size would be eligible for from a food pantry, another night where they would feed only on what they could get from food stamps — which amounted to about $8 for the 10 members of the group — and one night where they would buy food on what they could conceivably panhandle in a day.

The latter occasion, they purchased four $5 pizzas, which they then donated to residents of the Serve City shelter.

The bigger lesson from the experience was that eating cheaply and eating healthfully are mutually exclusive.

“Some of us are used to eating healthy food, so eating a lot of carbs and sugar left us feeling sluggish and sleepy,” said Ashley Hampton, a STAYcation participant in past years helping to facilitate the experience.

For the participants, exposure to the world of poverty and hunger was an eye-opening and life-changing experience.

“I did a lot of volunteering when I was in high school,” said mass communications major Katie Bierman, “but I’ve had to put a lot of that on the back burner while I’ve been in college. “But this has reminded me how awesome volunteering is, how even one hour can make a big difference.

“It’s rejuvenated my desire to help people,” she said. “I’m so inspired.”

Shannon Ross, one of the mothers in the group, said that having been on the other side of need, it was a great experience to give back.

“If I hadn’t done this, I probably would have stayed home and played card games on the computer,” said Beth Combs. “But now I have four or five places to go to spend my time better. I think I’ll be spending a lot of time at the Boys and Girls Club because it’s a wonderful place and they need volunteers.”

Combs said one of the most moving experiences of the STAYcation came when the group was reading stories to children at the Living Waters Mission.

“I was listening to a little boy read and I noticed that he was wearing a jacket that said ‘Fairfield Cheerleaders’,” she said. “I realized that it had belonged to his sister and that it was the only jacket he had access to.”

“I thought I knew most of the resources available in Hamilton,” Ross said. “But just going to SELF (Supports to Encourage Low Income Families), where I’d gone for help before, I was completely unaware of the variety of services they have.

“Just that one place can open a lot of doors for a lot of people,” she said.