Getting Involved with Alternative Breaks Presented by: Brett Heller & Josh Marron Leadership and Community Connections Dean of Students Office

What are Alternative Breaks? An alternative break is a trip where a group of college students engage in direct service, typically for a week. Each trip has a focus on a particular social issue, and immersion in that issue begins long before the trip itself. Students educate themselves and each other, then do hands-on work with relevant organizations. -Break Away, 2016

The Active Citizen Continuum

Why I got involved in Alternative Breaks Brett’s Story Josh’s Story

ISU Trips October 2015: Camp Cedar Lodge, Lawrence, MI (weekend trip) December 2015-January 2016: Alternative Winter Break- International, Xela, Guatemala January 2016: Alternative Winter Break- Domestic, Montgomery, AL March 2016: Alternative Spring Break Memphis, TN Little Rock, AR Duffield, VA Winder, GA Atlanta, GA March 2016: Easter Seals, St Louis (weekend trip) May 2016: Camp Cedar Lodge, Lawrence, MI (alumni trip)

Trips

"I just think AB has just been really great for me and really helped me find what I want to do and be passionate about. And helped me find other people like that. And I feel like I just learned so many real- life issues through it that schooling can’t teach you. No matter how much you sit in a classroom and try to learn about some of these issues in the Third World countries or whatnot, once you've actually been there or experienced low income communities, or at risk youth, or whatever it may be… once you’re actually experiencing it, you’re going to realize those issues instead of reading about it in a textbook or being lectured about it." "That makes me happy. Being able to talk about the serious issues still, when we come back from these trips. I think that’s really stuck with me throughout all of these [experiences]… I can’t have those conversations with my roommates because some people just don’t even realize that those are issues or don’t want to realize those issues." “I feel like on my youth group trips and trips before AB it was really focused on relationships and not so much on what we are actually doing when we were there. It was more focused on yourself and bettering me as a person. And I feel like, on AB, it was still there but that wasn’t what the program is focused on. It’s focused on helping the community that you’re at or whatever social issue you’re working with. I think that would probably be the main difference. I don’t even know if I could describe any of the social issues we talked about on my high school trips."

The Alternative Breaks Structure Domestic Trips 46 total participants 1 Bus Leader 6 Trip Leaders 3 Trip Advisors 36 Participants 3 Reflection Groups AWB International Trips 26 total participants 1 Plane Leader 4 Trip Leaders 2 Trip Advisors 19 Participants 2 Reflection Groups ASuB Kenya Trip, ASB-I 16 total participants 2 Trip Leaders 1 Trip Advisor

The ISU Structure Staffing Structure: – ASB, AWB-D: 3 staff/faculty members, 2 can be GAs, 1 must be full time – AWB-I: 2 full time staff/faculty members – Club AB Weekend Trips: 1 staff/faculty or GA All are assigned to one reflection group each

The Trip Advisor’s Role Our Philosophy – Serve as emergency response – Serve as the money handlers – Serve as a soundboard to student leaders – Share their experiences and expertise – Most importantly: They serve as a participant!

The Trip Advisor’s Role Our Philosophy – Trip Advisors are NOT part of the planning process – Trip Leaders are expected to go to their Bus Leader first with all issues – Trip Advisors step in when the student leaders are “stuck” or if a major problem arises

Other ways to get involved Training topic expertise (i.e. facilitation, leadership, community organizing, cultural competence, location knowledge, social issue expertise, etc.) Share the opportunity with students you interact with Attend AB events Local service projects Talk to our students! Hear their stories!

Questions? Our contact info: ISU Alternative Breaks Annie Weaver Trip advisor applications will be released in August! Contact Josh if you are interested in either international trip