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Alternative Breaks

Alternative Breaks offers service-learning trips for students to explore a social justice issue through hands-on service supplemented with education and reflection. Trips run during winter and spring breaks and explore issues like immigration, environmental justice, public health, or poverty. Participants take a DeCal class before their trip to learn about the issue and the community partners they will be working with and to get to know each other.

“I never imagined a space like the PSC. I participated in Alternative Breaks, which gave me experience in local community building. It taught me that community wisdom is perhaps the most important type of wisdom. There’s only so much we can learn from books. It’s given me an alternative way of learning.”

ALEJANDRA LOPEZ, Class of 2015, Double Major in Sociology and Social Welfare

At-A-Glance

Volunteer
Units available
Stipend or scholarship
Time commitment: 2–4 hours per week
Long term (1 semester)
Student Organizations

Spring 2021 Trips

More Information

The Berkeley Life - Alternative Breaks

Read the Alternative Breaks Resource Manual.

Watch our video.

Donate to Alternative Breaks (Alt Breaks)

Break Leader Retreat Weekend, Fall 2018

Supporters

Alternative Breaks (Alt Breaks) has benefited from the generous support of the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), and the benevolent support of individual alumni donors.

Learn more about the program in Berkeley Life!

Application Dates

Break Leader Application	Apply here!
Student Director Application	Apply here!
Application Deadline	Rolling

Contact Information

Anjali Venkatesh, Community Partnerships Director
partnerships.altbreaks@gmail.com

Jesus Aguiniga, Finance Director.
finance.altbreaks@gmail.com

Victoria Stafford, Communications Director
berkeleyaltbreaks@gmail.com

Gabrielle Arreola, Training & Sustainability Director
train.sustain.altbreaks@gmail.com

Rosa Enriquez, , Graduate Student Facilitator
rosaleeenriquez @berkeley.edu

Carina Marazzi, Special Projects & Development Director
berkeleyaltbreaks@gmail.com

Cassy Huang, Program Manager
cassy@berkeley.edu

2019-2020 Alternative Breaks Director Team