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 2019 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.

Support this year's Alt Breaks participants by helping them reach their $3,000 fundraising goal! Read more about this fundraiser here.

Online Application

Break Leader applications for 2019-2020 are now open. Apply (rolling deadline)

Student Director applications for 2019-2020 are now open. Apply (rolling deadline)

Contact Information

Office hours are all held at the Public Service Center(218 Eshleman), unless otherwise noted. Feel free to visit or contact:

Edith Martinez Soto, Community Partnerships Director
Office Hours: Thursday: 11:00am-1:00pm
partnerships.altbreaks@gmail.com

Jesus Aguiniga, Finance Director
Office Hours: Tuesday: 9:30am-11:00am
finance.altbreaks@gmail.com

Joel Sedano, Communications Director
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday: 9:00am-11:30am @ 598 Barrows
berkeleyaltbreaks@gmail.com

Fatima Casas, Training & Sustainability Director
Office Hours: Wednesday: 4:00pm-6:00pm
train.sustain.altbreaks@gmail.com

Cassy Huang, Program Manager
cassy@berkeley.edu

2016 Alternative Break leaders at leader retreat