Alternative Break participants pose with children from the Friendship House in Washington, D.C.

Alternative Breaks Frequently Asked Questions

 

Who can participate in Alternative Breaks?

Any Illinois State student, faculty or staff member who is interested in experiencing a life-changing break through in service is encouraged to apply for Alternative Breaks. Only one faculty or staff member will be allowed to attend per team.

Who makes up a trip team?

• Two trained student Trip Leaders
  • At least one trip leader on each team will be certified in CPR & First Aid
  • Every team is equipped with an emergency binder containing: local city maps, Illinois State University contact information, participant medical insurance verification and location of nearest hospital & police station
• One Trip Advisor (faculty, staff, or graduate assistant)
• 12-15 participants/students

Be prepared to have fun and make new friends — each group will be made up of diverse and enthusiastic individuals from all majors and student organizations. Participants will work closely meeting the needs of others with these individuals and will build lasting relationships to continue once back on campus.

How much does the trip cost?

See Policies and Payment for specific costs for trips.

 

What transportation do you use?

Charter buses will take participants to their locations on spring break.  Once teams are at their sites, public transportation or a charter bus will be used to commute to and from lodging and service sites. In some cases, the sites are within walking distance. Winter break will fly to the destination country. In country transportation is arranged through the host organization and is usually large vans. Winter break participants may also utilize public transportation.

What will I do on an Alternative Break?

The primary purpose of trips are to volunteer. Participants are engaged in direct service for four full days during spring break. On the fifth day, they have an opportunity to explore the city visited. In the evenings, participants enjoy free time to play games, hang out, tour the city, or just relax. View a sample spring break schedule. Winter break trips can be ten to fourteen days.

 

Where do the trips go?

The objective of trips are to meet needs surrounding a specific social issue. Locations are not disclosed until after participants have been selected. Check out Alternative Break Issues for a list of projects and topics Alternative Breaks may address.

What will the experience be like - what do we do each day?

Alternative Spring Break:

Saturday - Participants travel via charter buses.

Sunday - Participants attend a orientation/training program on the service site, receive information about their service tasks, and learn any task-related skills and safety precautions needed before actually beginning projects.

Monday – Thursday - Participants engage in direct service, usually lasting about eight hours a day. 

Friday - Participants enjoy entertainment and site-seeing. In the evening, participants board the bus and head back to Illinois State’s campus.

Saturday - Participants arrive back at Illinois State.

Alternative WInter Breaks:

Day 1  Participants meet at the airport and travel to location abroad.

Day 2 - 8 P articipants will engage in direct service, usually lasting eight hours a day. Teams may also serve during part of the weekend as well. Evenings may be free for touring and exploring. One day will be designated as a free day and formal site-seeing will be arranged.

Day 9-10 Participants travel to the airport and fly home.

What is so unique about Alternative Breaks?

Participants have the opportunity to:

• Meet new people from Illinois State
• Learn about cultural and social issues while doing service
• Make new connections across the country
• Build relationships
• Grow, learn, and change your point of view
• Travel without spending a lot of money
• Create social change