Support GW Alternative Breaks Information 2022 – 2023

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

The mission of the GW Alternative Breaks Program is to empower and challenge students to understand their role as proponents of democratic citizenship in the world through direct and indirect service, service-learning, and reflection, while encouraging personal growth, social awareness, and active citizenship. Alternative Breaks provides the opportunity for students to explore community service in local, national, and international settings, fostering a Serve, Learn, Discover mentality.

Our Vision

GW Alternative Breaks seeks to inspire active citizenship, a curiosity about the world, and to ask critical questions about inequitable systems in our society, and how our values can drive us to change them.

Our Values

Social Justice
Active Citizenship
Intentionality
Inclusion
Collective Leadership
Good-naturedness
Mutually-Beneficial Partnerships
Sustainability

The Eight Components of a Quality Alternative Break

Strong Direct Service
Full Engagement
Diversity and Social Justice
Orientation
Education
Training
Reflection
Reorientation

Program for 2022 – 2023 Academic Year

This year, Alternative Breaks is running two trips during Spring Break. Issue areas these trips will focus on this year include sustainable agriculture and land preservation. One trip will be to Costa Rica, where the participants will volunteer on a sustainable coffee farm. The second is a partnership with Freetown Farm located in Columbia, MD where participants will help the farm prepare during the busiest time of the year as well as gain the knowledge for implementing these sustainable practices in their own lives. The Alternative Breaks trips not only provide opportunities for GW students to serve with a variety of communities, but they also facilitate leadership development, active citizenship, and self-reflection.

The funding to support these trips is almost entirely raised through fundraising by our participants and leaders. We thank you for your support! If you have any questions about the Alternative Breaks program or any of the service experiences, please contact altbreaks@gwu.edu.

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