Weekend Trips (Fall) / Winter Break Trips / Spring Break Trips / Weekend Trips (Spring)
Thank you for your interest in Alternative Breaks. All applications are currently closed. Please check back in the Fall of 2020 for trips during the 2020-2021 Academic Year.
Trip costs for the 2019-2020 Academic Year are TBD and will be announced ASAP. Please see below in each trip description for estimated trip costs. Trips have varying costs based on housing, food and transportation to that area. Costs currently range from $30-$750 per trip. Week-long trips and trips with airfare are generally more expensive. Costs covers all components of trip except for personal expenses and travel meals. Participants are eligible to apply for an individual scholarship to help cover the cost of the trip.
All trip experiences will begin and end on UConn’s campus. Participants are expected to travel and remain with the group at all times, for the entire duration of the trip (see specific trip dates below), and attend all pre-trip and post-trip meetings.
Questions? Please review the Alternative Break FAQ page and/or contact Kaitlyn Luft, the Alternative Breaks Staff Coordinator at kaitlyn.luft@uconn.edu or 860-486-1165.
Trip Focus: Food Insecurity in Urban Environments
Location: New Haven, CT
During this weekend trip, participants will be staying in New Haven, CT and volunteering at local non-profits focusing on food justice and food insecurity. Participants will become aware of New Haven and other Connecticut area food deserts and work with agencies combating this issue. Typical service involves working on community gardens or with soup kitchens. The group will meet for four times prior to the weekend and will meet one to two times after the trip.
Trip Size: 12 students, 1 student trip director, and 1 staff
Participant Cost: $45
Trip Director: Makyle Hawk, uconn.co.newhaven@gmail.com
Trip Focus: HIV/AIDS Awareness & Advocacy
Location: New York City, NY
During this weekend long alternative break, participants will be staying at a church in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and will be working with agencies that focus on supporting people affected by HIV/AIDS. In the past we have assisted with reducing harm for risky behaviors that can lead to HIV, and created safe sex kits for outreach workers. The group will meet for four times prior to the trip weekend and will meet once or twice after.
Trip Size: 12 student participants, 1 student trip director and 1 staff
Participant Cost: $45
Trip Director: Sarah Chen, uconn.co.newyork@gmail.com
Trip Focus: Community Development
Location: Los Jazmines, Costa Rica
Trip Dates: January 4-19, 2020
During this two week long alternative break, participants will be staying in the local school and working with a community organization and community members in Los Jazmines located near Upala in the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. The trip will be continuing their partnership with Reto Juvenil Internacional (RJI). The trip focus has historically consisted of a build project followed by educational workshops. The specific projects and workshops are determined on a yearly basis as a result of a community needs assessment run through RJI. UConn students in the past have built a healthcare center, storage and new bathrooms for the school, and an annex to the healthcare center. UConn students have also painted murals for the school. This trip will have 8 pre-trip meetings and one to two post-trip meetings.
UConn student participants must be in good University standing to participate in this experience and agree to a specific policy guide for this international experience.
Valid passports and various vaccinations are required.
Costa Rica requires passports to be valid at least 6 months post departure from the country.
Trip Size: 12 student participants, 1 student trip director, and 1 staff
Participant Cost: $750
Trip Director: Heather Allstrom, uconn.co.costarica@gmail.com
Trip Focus: Civil Rights & Urban Poverty
Location: Birmingham, AL
Trip Dates: January 11-19, 2020
During this week long trip, participants will explore civil rights and urban poverty in Birmingham, AL. We will be working with volunteer organizations like Habitat for Humanity, and will also visit historical sites important to the civil rights movement. This immersive education and service experience will challenge you to engage with critical social issues, develop communication and team work skills, and embrace the uncomfortable. Serve, grow, and inspire with other UConn students to create an unforgettable experience. This trip will have 8 pre-trip meetings and 1-2 post trip meetings.
Trip Size: 45 participants, 1 student trip director, 1 student assistant trip director, 3 student team leaders, and 4 staff
Participant Cost: $150; Team Leader Cost: $75
Trip Director: Akriti Mishra
Assistant Trip Director: Eileen Holmes
uconn.co.birmingham@gmail.com
Trip Focus: Urban Development, Education, & Civic Engagement
Location: Detroit, MI
During this alternative break, students will be learning about urban development, education, and civic engagement through eight educational pre-trip meetings. Service will explore the connections between these three topics through work with several local nonprofits; such as food banks, urban development charities, environmental justice organizations, and work in school and after-school programs. Concluding the trip there will be two post-trip meetings and many resources will be shared to encourage the continuation of civic engagement on the UConn campus.
Trip Size: 45 participants, 1 student trip director, 1 student assistant trip director, 3 team leaders, and 4 staff
Participant Cost: $250; Team Leader Cost: $125
Trip Director: Juan Torres
Assistant Trip Director: Cassidy Fawcett
uconn.co.detroit@gmail.com
Trip Focus: Environmental Conservation
Location: Florida, National Parks
This week long alternative break trip is intended to make participants more knowledgeable about environmental conservation efforts and the issues of climate change in the context of the National Parks System. Students will participate in various environmental clean-up and restoration projects relevant to the local ecosystem in a mystery national park and will learn about the intersectionality of environmental issues with the greater social issues of the area. This break will involve boating, physical activity, and a prominent educational component. Students will learn to become more active citizens in the context of environmental activism on both local and global scales. This trip includes eight pre-trip meetings and one to two post-trip meetings.
Trip Size: 12 participants, 1 student trip director, and 1 staff.
Participant Cost: $300
Trip Director: Matthew Boyer
uconn.co.nationalpark@gmail.com
Trip Focus: Cultural Preservation & Rural Poverty with the Cherokee Nation
Location: Tahlequah, OK
During this week-long alternative break trip students will be living and working within the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. This is a great opportunity to be immersed in Native American culture and assist the Cherokee community through meaningful service. In the past, we have met with local leaders to discuss current issues facing the Cherokee Nation, restored a community center, built wheelchair ramps for people with disabilities, repaired houses for the elderly and participated in cultural activities. To learn more about the Cherokee Nation, visit this website. This trip includes eight pre-trip meetings and one to two post-trip meetings.
Trip Size: 12 participants, 1 student trip director, 1 staff
Participant Cost: $300
Trip Director: Lucas Knight-Vezina
uconn.co.oklahoma@gmail.com
Trip Focus: Healthcare Access & Education
Location: Philadelphia, PA
During this week-long alternative break, students will be hosted in a church facility in Philadelphia and will work in the city on a variety of healthcare issues. Participants in past years have worked with all age groups from children to the elderly in order to provide the care or comfort that these individuals need. Groups have prepared and delivered meals to those with healthcare needs, interacted with children in hospitals, and helped educate the uninsured about the Affordable Care Act. Participants will engage in both direct and indirect service opportunities through this trip. This trip includes eight pre-trip meetings and one to two post-trip meetings.
Trip Size: 18 participants, 1 student trip director, 1 student assistant trip director and 1 staff
Participant Cost: $100
Trip Director: Michael Sullivan
Assistant Trip Director: Chloe Gannon
uconn.co.philly@gmail.com
Trip Focus: LGBTQIA+ Education, Identity, & Allyship
Location: NY/Storrs
During this week long trip, participants will engage in community service, education, advocacy, and identity development activities as it pertains to the LGBTQIA+ community. This trip will travel to New York City and work with various organizations surrounding: violence prevention, harm reduction, advocacy efforts, and educational initiatives across the city. We then will take the knowledge and skills we obtain back to campus as we participate at the True Colors Conference, hosted at UConn every year. This trip includes eight pre-trip meetings and one to two post-trip meetings.
Trip Size: 12 participants, 1 student trip director, 1 staff
Participant Cost: $100
Trip Director: Kayla Paris
uconn.co.nystorrs@gmail.com
Trip Focus: Understanding Homelessness
Location: Boston, MA
This weekend long alternative break will be focused on homelessness and the effects this issue has on the community of Boston. In the past, participants have volunteered at agencies such as homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and other organizations focused on serving the homeless population. Through direct and indirect service, participants will be able to serve and learn about this population and how to advocate for those affected by homelessness. Participants will be staying at a church in downtown Boston. The group will meet for four times prior to the trip weekend and will meet once or twice after.
Trip Size: 12 participants, 1 student trip director, 1 staff
Participant Cost: $30
Trip Director: Grace Lemire
uconn.co.boston@gmail.com
Trip Focus: Coastal Conservation & Protection
Location: Groton, CT
During this weekend long alternative break, participants from Storrs and Avery Point will come together for an immersive experience focusing on coastal environment issues. In the past, the group has worked on beach clean-ups, removal of invasive species, and planting eelgrass. Project O will also be providing the group with information and education vital to understanding the environmental issues in the Long Island Sound area. Please note: this trip will include traveling on small and large boats. Participants will be provided life jackets.
Trip Size: 24 participants, 2 student trip directors, and 2 staff
Participant Cost: $40
Trip Directors: Doria Daviau (Avery Point); Gregory Desautels (Storrs)
uconn.co.groton@gmail.com