Business school students receive volunteer opportunities

Business school students receive volunteer opportunities

To help degree candidates remain connected to social issues, administrators at the University of Buffalo School of Management recently offered an Alternative Spring Break program.

A total of 16 students in the school's MBA program travelled to New Orleans, where they completed a series of projects intended to help residents who are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The trip was funded by donations from Blue Ox Roofing as well as the school's alumni and service associations.

Initiatives included restoration and repair efforts in the Lower Ninth Ward Village, rebuilding of a community playground and home maintenance and addition projects. The student-volunteers also worked with a green building organization to explore the ways sustainable architecture could help the city recover.

As many companies continue to place an emphasis on social and environmental responsibilities, campus-based and online MBA programs that offer similar programs may help students succeed in their future workplaces.

School officials say that the project was a part of the management program's commitment to real-world learning, community and economic impact.