Students can change up the way they spend spring break in a meaningful way with Alternative Breaks offered by ETSU’s Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement.
Alternative Breaks are led service opportunities in different locations across the country during spring break. Through this program, students can actively engage in important social issues facing society today.
The program’s goal is to transform students from ordinary members of society to active citizens. Each trip is designed to teach students about social justice by getting them involved with a specific community through service opportunities. Students can bring what they learn back with them and apply it to the community of Johnson City.
“We don’t want our participants to change the world, we just want them to come back and change their neighborhoods,” said Alternative Break Experience Leader Shon Holman.
There will be five trips this spring to choose from, each in a different location. Each service trip is focused on a specific social issue. This year’s issues are Education and Youth Development, Environmental Conservation, Health and Harm Reduction, Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking and Urban Poverty and Homelessness.
ETSU senior Chelsie Snipes went on her first alternative break two springs ago, and now she is a site leader for the program.
“I went to Huntington, West Virginia, and the trip was on harm reduction, which is basically meeting people who struggle with addiction where they are without any expectations other than just trying to keep them safe and healthy,” Snipes said. “So, we worked in syringe service programs. We worked in homeless shelters. We worked with youth recovery communities.”
The Alternative Breaks for spring 2020 will be March 14 through the 21.
Each trip will have about eight to 10 students, two site leaders and one learning partner who is an ETSU faculty or staff member. ETSU provides a van for the trip, and depending on the location, the trip can last from five days up to a week.
The trip can cost between $150 and $325. This cost covers transportation, activities and most meals. There is an initial, non-refundable deposit, and the remaining cost is due later.
Students must fill out an application to participate in Alternative Breaks. The application will require the student’s top three choices out of the five trips and an explanation of why he or she wants to go on a specific one. After the applications are reviewed there will be a new student orientation and a big reveal of which trip people are put on.
Once a student is placed on their trip, they are required to attend all pre-trip meetings. The site leaders will schedule the pre-trip meetings around the students’ availability to make sure everyone can attend.
“I feel like it’s such a great avenue for people who are interested in these issues but don’t know enough about them and what we’re doing in our community to be an active part of it,” said Snipes.
Applications opened on Monday along with the first info session in Rogers Stout Hall. Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible because the trips fill up quickly.
The next info session will be on Thursday Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Rogers Stout room 425. Applications are due on Friday, Oct. 11. Participants will find out their placements on Friday, Nov. 1. The non-refundable deposit will be due on Nov. 15, and the remaining cost is due on Dec. 6.
Applications can be found on the ETSU Alternative Breaks website and their Buc-Hub page. Students can also email leadandserve@etsu.edu for an application or more information.
