- Fall: October 18-20, 2024
- Spring: February 7-9, 2025
- Spring Break 2025
Alternative Breaks
Where adventure and service collide.
About Alternative Breaks
Our Mission: To increase awareness of social issues and injustices through education, service-learning, and reflection.
Alternative Breaks fosters the personal growth and civic engagement of our participants through thoughtfully planned service trips, trainings, and events. Our program gives you the opportunity to participate in service projects in communities across the nation and engage in social issues through strong direct community service, education, and reflection to heighten social awareness and create sustainable change in the community. Interested in getting more involved? Join our MavEngage page!
Join us
Apply today for the Fall Weekend Alternative Breaks Experience. Applications close on August 23, 2024. Applications for the Spring Weekend Alternative Breaks Experience will open on September 27, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Trip Information
- Engagement: Be prepared to utilize your efforts to learn about various social issues, build relationships with peers, and self-reflect.
- Open-mindedness: Be prepared to engage with the realities of different social issues and come into the experience with an open heart and mind.
- Service: Be prepared to spend 15+ hours on any of our trips in service to our social issue before, during and after the trips.
In an Alternative Breaks trip, we do abundant amounts of service while exploring the places we travel to. We spend lots of time with fellow participants in reflection, team bonding and overall having a good time.
Students must be in good academic standing and attend the pre-trip meetings and service projects.
There is currently no cost for students interested in participating in the Alternative Breaks experience.
Alternative Breaks is an immersive service experience, where you can make friendships while learning how to serve and work effectively with others on your trip! You will have the chance to grow as a servant leader and learn about yourself and your place in the world. You will learn about social issues faced within our society, while serving alongside community partners to be a part of the effort to fix them!
- Weekend trips: 3 days, 2 nights (during October + February)
- Weeklong trips: 5 days, 4 nights (during the week of Spring Breaks)
No. All trip participants, site leaders, and students directors will be expected to be present for entire Alternative Breaks experience.
Leadership Information
Site Leader applications are available beginning in late of February through early April each spring. Previous Alternative Break participation is preferred.
Students are able to apply for the Student Director position when it opens in April 2024. Previous Alternative Breaks experience is preferred, but not required. Students must be in good standing with the University and The Follett Student Leadership Center at UTA.
Alternative Breaks Year At A Glance:
Fall Weekend Application Timeline:
(12 Trip Participants, Site Leaders, Student Directors Trip Advisors)
- Trip Participant Application open/close: June 13, 2024-August 23, 2024
- Interviews start/close: September 2-6, 2024
- Pre-Trip Meetings:
- September 27, 2024
- October 4, 2024
- October 11, 2024
- Pre-Trip Service: Details regarding Pre-Trip Service will be discussed during the first Pre-Trip Meeting.
- Trip Happens: October 18-21, 2024
- Post-Trip Service: Details regarding Post-Trip Service will be discussed during the last Pre-Trip Meeting.
- Post Trip Meeting: November 15, 2024
Spring Weekend Application Timeline:
(12 Trip Participants, Site Leaders, Student Directors Trip Advisors)
- Trip Participant Application open/close: September 27, 2024-October 25, 2024
- Interviews start/close: November 11-15, 2024
- Pre-Trip Meetings:
- January 17, 2024
- January 24, 2024
- January 31, 2024
- Pre-Trip Service: Details regarding Pre-Trip Service will be discussed during the first Pre-Trip Meeting.
- Trip Happens: February 7-9, 2025
- Post-Trip Service: Details regarding Post-Trip Service will be discussed during the last Pre-Trip Meeting.
- Post Trip Meeting: February 20, 2024
Spring Break Application Timeline:
(13 Trip Participants, Site Leaders, Student Directors Trip Advisors)
- Trip Participant Application open/close: October 28, 2024-December 2, 2024
- Interviews start/close: January 27-31, 2024
- Pre-Trip Meetings:
- February 21, 2025
- February 28, 2025
- March 7, 2025
- Pre-Trip Service: Details regarding Pre-Trip Service will be discussed during the first Pre-Trip Meeting.
- Trip Happens: March 10-14, 2025
- Post-Trip Service: Details regarding Post-Trip Service will be discussed during the last Pre-Trip Meeting.
- Post Trip Meeting: November 15, 2024
Check out other programs offered by the Leadership Center!
Our goal is to create leaders who are relational in their approach and who educate themselves to be global citizens.