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 2020 Trips

More Information

Read the Alternative Breaks Resource Manual.

Watch our video.

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.

Please support Alternative Breaks with our annual group fundraiser. Click here to donate!

Application Dates

Trip Leader Application	Applications are closed. Please check in Fall 2020.
Participant Application	Applications are closed. Please check in Fall 2020.

Contact Information

Anjali Venkatesh, Community Partnerships Director. Office hours: Mondays 4pm - 4:50pm
partnerships.altbreaks@gmail.com

Jesus Aguiniga, Finance Director. Office hours: Wednesdays 3:30pm - 4:30pm and Mondays 8am - 9am
finance.altbreaks@gmail.com

Sneha Mathew, Communications Director. Office hours: Mondays 12pm - 1pm
berkeleyaltbreaks@gmail.com

Victoria Stafford, Training & Sustainability Director. Office hours: Tuesdays 10am - 12pm
train.sustain.altbreaks@gmail.com

All office hours will be held at the Public Service Center, Eshleman 218

Cassy Huang, Program Manager
cassy@berkeley.edu

2019-2020 Alternative Breaks Director Team