What is an Alternative Break?

An alternative break allows you to make a difference in the world during your school break. Initiating and scheduling a short program around your school calendar allows the flexibility to travel where and when it works best for you. Teams of College or high school students volunteer to experience community service and contribute to development during Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring breaks.

Our host organizations request assistance from student volunteers to teach conversational English, care for at-risk children, and paint and repair community buildings such as school houses.

This gives you the opportunity to learn about literacy, poverty, racism, hunger, homelessness, cultural differences and the environment. At the same time, you will have the chance to journal or blog your team's experiences, share with family and friends, and learn through discussion about local issues.

Alternative breaks help youth learn lifelong citizenship and make the world a much smaller place. Volunteers report that our programs are life-changing experiences involving heightened self-awareness, in part due to our unique team-building approach and debriefing/analytical processes during and after the program. Global Volunteers, as a non-sectarian organization, gives students a real life view of communities abroad without imposing bias. It does so in a structured program where safety is always first, leaving you to fully enjoy the experience.

You may be able to earn academic credit by participating in an independent study project. Please confirm the course requirements with your advisor.

For more information please contact:

Karisa Grosser
Affiliations Manager
(800)487-1071 ext 6134 toll free
kgrosser@globalvolunteers.org