Alternative Breaks offers service-learning trips for students to explore a social justice issue through hands-on service supplemented with education and reflection. Students explore immigration, environmental and food justice, public health, farmworker rights, and basic needs with diverse stakeholders in California’s Central Valley, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, and Puerto Rico. As a Trip Break Leader, you share your social justice passion by facilitating a 2-unit DeCal, planning a week-long spring break trip, and collaborating with community partners. As a Director, you manage the program and support Break Leaders behind the scenes.
Alternative Breaks Leaders 2023-2024
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 donors and alumni.
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Important Dates
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Alternative Breaks Participant Application
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Community Partners
Central Valley
The LEAP (Latino Equity, Advocacy & Policy) Institute works with communities to achieve economic, environment and climate justice through leadership development, coalition building, community organizing, participatory action research, and advocacy for racial justice.
Los Angeles
The Keck School of Medicine of USC Street Medicine is an emerging collaboration of interdisciplinary healthcare professionals that aims to improve care for the homeless while advocating for healthcare justice in Los Angeles through medical and social service outreach and research.
Oakland
The West Oakland Farm Park is an urban farm dedicated to connecting neighbors, creating a safe recreation space, and increasing access to healthy foods for low-income families in Oakland.
Puerto Rico
Camp Tabonuco empowers Puerto Rican youth with transformative learning experiences focused on the arts, agroecology, alternative construction, and sustainability to cultivate social and ecological awareness and stewardship.
San Diego
Border Angels is a nonprofit organization that advocates for human rights, humane immigration reform, and social justice with a special focus on issues to reduce the number of fatalities along the US-Mexico border by educating and assisting the communities on both sides of the border.
San Francisco
Faithful Fools fosters awareness and analysis of deteriorating social conditions in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District and facilitates individual and collective responses.
Contact Information
Dani Buch, Communications Director
berkeleyaltbreaks@gmail.com
Camili Leon Amarillas, Community Engagement Director
berkeleyaltbreaks@gmail.com
Faith Vega, Community Partnerships Director
partnerships.altbreaks@gmail.com
Emily Crofoot and Grace Gonzalez, Finance Director
finance.altbreaks@gmail.com
Vanessa Colin, Program Development Director
berkeleyaltbreaks@gmail.com
Rosa Enriquez, Program Manager for Immersive Service
RosaLeeEnriquez@berkeley.edu
2023-2024 Alternative Breaks Director Team