IU’s first Alternative Break Fair took place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday as a part of the new Hoosier Alternative Breaks Program within Student Life and Learning. An alternative break allows students to spend their time off from school engaged in a service trip centered on social justice issues.
The fair brought together organizations with service opportunities to connect students to programs and introduce organizations to other organizations doing similar things.
Anna Archer, community engagement graduate adviser in Student Life and Learning, coordinated the fair in conjunction with a team from Student Life and Learning. She said at least 20 student organizations participate in service trips and more than 30 trips are available this year.
“We really want to create a network for alternative break experiences and also just raise awareness that this is going on on campus,” Archer said.
Colleen Rose, senior assistant director for community engagement in Student Life and Learning, said students choose to get involved with organizations that engage in alternative breaks for several reasons. Many students want an opportunity to take an adventure to somewhere new, she said, but also want to serve and make a difference.
“I think it’s a good opportunity to make friends, too, because you have this really intense experience with a group of people for a period of time,” Rose said.
Jane Reagan, co-president of Nourish International, said its members seek to address global poverty in a sustainable way. Members work throughout the year in general body and committee meetings. This summer, some members will travel to Peru for six weeks to work with communities struggling with health, education or environmental sustainability issues.
“We want to make sure that we’re providing the resources the community needs,” Reagan said. “They know how to address the problems they have way better than we do, but sometimes they don’t have the resources to do that, so we just want to provide those resources so that they can solve their own problems.”
Although many organizations serve communities abroad, in countries such as Panama, Rwanda, Cambodia and China, some organizations also work domestically.
Youth Advocating Leadership and Learning takes two trips a year to rebuild homes in New Orleans, while Habitat for Humanity at IU works in Florida.
One factor that can play into a student’s decision to take an alternative break trip is the cost. Although some trips are less expensive, such as the Y’ALL trip to New Orleans, which costs $300, some international experiences can cost up to $2,500, Rose said.
Rose said one way students can defray expenses is with scholarships available through the Hutton Honors College, open to all students, and with service-learning student travel scholarships, available for service-learning courses and service-related activities.
“That’s something we’re hoping to work on with the new Hoosier Alternative Break program is finding more ways for students to go on trips either low-cost or no-cost,” Rose said. “We want all IU students to be able to take one with expense not being an obstacle.”
Archer said the experience students get from alternative break trips starts before students leave, when they learn about the social issues and needs of the communities they serve.
“Once you’re there, you’re really immersed in the issue, and you get to see your hands-on impact that you can have when there’s an unmet need,” Archer said. “I think it’s something every student should have the opportunity to experience. There’s lots of reasons to do service, but there’s always a need.”
