Alternative Breaks

The Center for Student Engagement & Leadership sponsors Alternative Break experiences. An Alternative Break (AB) is a week-long or weekend immersive service experience. A group of students travel away from campus with the goal of engaging within a new community through education, service, and reflection. Each break integrates service, reflection and education and focuses on various social issues such as racial justice, environmental justice, housing, healthcare, poverty, etc. By forgoing traditional academic breaks, students have the opportunity to participate in quality, community-based transformational service and dedicate their time to learning and interacting with different communities.

Got Questions?

Contact Emily Harris
Assistant Director of Leadership and Community Engagement

Information Sessions

More details to come.

Important AB Dates

More details to come.

2026 - 2027 Breaks

Fall Stay-Break:
November 20 - 22, 2026

Spring Break:
March 7 - 12, 2027

Transcript

Sustainable Development Goals

Each Alternative Break focuses on a specific subsection of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aligning our efforts with global initiatives for positive change. For more information, please check out the .

Participants

Participants are held to a high standard and adhere to the expectations of the AB program as a whole. These expectations include:

Be willing to serve with an openness to learning and addressing the community needs first.
Represent the University of North Georgia, the Center for Student Engagement and Leadership, and the Alternative Breaks program in a mature, responsible, and positive way at all times.
Be open to processing, at your own comfort level, the Alternative Break experience individually and as a group through reflection.
Attend Pre-Break meetings, the Alternative Breaks, and Reorientation. These meetings and trainings are provided to enhance student learning and ensure quality service experiences for participants and the community partners.
Attend Pre-Trip Meetings, the Alternative Breaks trip, and Reorientation. These meetings and trainings are provided to enhance student learning and ensure quality service experiences for participants and the community partners.
Fully immerse yourself in the Alternative Breaks experience and participate in all aspects of the Alternative Breaks program, which includes service work, reflections, projects, meetings, and reading assignments, etc.
Commitment to the Alternative Break “no drugs or alcohol” and “no weapons” policies

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be in good standing with the university and have no active conduct record.
Must have a minimum of 2.5 G.P.A.

Break Leaders

Break Leaders (BL) are one of the most crucial pieces of the AB program. AB takes pride in our BLs and the rich experience they bring to this para-professional role of the program. BLs take an active role in educating and leading peers through a service experience focused on a social issue they are passionate about.
Break Leaders are held to a high standard and adhere to the expectations of the AB program as a whole. These expectations include:

Adhere to all participant expectations and cooperate and collaborate with the Alternative Breaks Advisor, co-leader, and organization partners
Meet regularly with the program advisor and co- leader (if applicable) to discuss and plan certain aspects of the break.
Remain flexible, open-minded, and responsible.
Educate yourself and participants about the issue relative to your site and plan and execute all pre-break meetings for participants.
Build positives relationship with the designated site and select AB participants on your break.
Commitment to the Alternative Break “no drugs or alcohol” policy
Must be a sophomore (30 + credits) or higher
3.0 G.P.A. minimum
Be in good judicial standing and have no active student conduct cases at the University of North Georgia.

Incentives and Benefits:

Stipend:
- $200 for Fall Break Trip Leaders
- $400–$500 for Spring Break Trip Leaders
  (Stipends are awarded upon successful completion of all Trip Leader requirements.)
Free professional development training to help you grow as a leader and team member.
Exclusive Alternative Breaks swag.

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be a sophomore (30 + credits) or higher
Must be in good standing with the university and have no active conduct record.
Must have a minimum of 3.0 G.P.A.
Must have a valid driver's license.
Must be able to provide at least one academic or professional reference.
Must commit to all required trainings, meetings, and trip responsibilities, including but not limited to the mandatory Trip Leader Training on July 30, 2025 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

FAQs

What makes these breaks “alternative”?

Alternative Breaks are just that- an alternative to your academic breaks. The breaks give students an opportunity to meet new people, learn new things and to step away from all the hustle and bustle of normal life. Alternative Breaks are entirely drug and alcohol-free, thus providing an “alternative” option to traditional spring break and weekend activities.

How do I apply?

All applications are to be submitted online through �� Connect. You may want to type your essay answers into a separate document and paste them into the online form. Please ensure that you answer all questions thoroughly as there is a high interest in participating on these experiences. Please note that Trip Leader and regular Participant application may have different deadlines. Applications will be made available for the trips at the beginning of the academic year (fall semester).

Are there any prerequisites for applying?

There is no prerequisite to apply, all enrolled �� students on any campus may apply. However, there are specific requirements for applying for the Break Leader position. Individuals may not participate if they are not fully enrolled in the university at the time of the break. We only ask that students interested have no active student conduct cases open and are in good judicial standing at the university to participate.

How many people are selected to go?

For Fall Break there is a maximum of 12 students who can attend. For spring Break Trips there is a maximum of 8 students who can attend.

When will I know whether I have been accepted?

Students will be notified within 1-2 weeks after application submittance up until the application deadline of if they have or have not been selected. Students are not interviewed to be a part of the break, so it is important for students wanting to participate to have a strong application. If the break is filled, students can go on the waitlist. If there are spots that become open, then students will be reached out to via email or phone.

How much does it cost to go on a trip?

Breaks have varying costs based on housing, food, transportation, and programming supplies specific to each alternative break location and service. The Alternative breaks programs works hard to cover the majority of the cost for student participants. Previous experiences have tended to stay around $50. The program commitments to provide low-cost service-learning experiences for students.

What does the payment cover?

Payment covers housing, food, transportation, and programming supplies. The only items that are not covered include meals during travel and any items that a person might purchase for their personal use i.e., a souvenir, any forgotten items such as a toothbrush etc.

What is the time commitment?

For Spring Break groups will have 4-5 weekly meetings prior to the experience. For Fall Break groups will have 1-2 meetings prior to their experience. These meetings will be an opportunity for team-building, preparing for the break, as well as learning about the focus of the experience and any educational elements that participants need to know before the break. Following the break, participants will meet a minimum of one time for a reorientation event/meeting to reflect on the experience.

Pre- and post- break meetings are required as participants will be provided with policy and procedure information regarding the schedule and activities so that they can be prepared for the experience. If a student cannot attend one or more pre-break meetings, they must arrange make-up meetings with the Break Leader(s) or Program Advisor to review material and information covered.

Do I have to be there for the entire break?

Yes, students who are unable to participate in the break for its entire duration are ineligible to participate.

Where do we typically stay?

The group may be housed in religious buildings, hotels, community centers, community houses, camps etc. Our program encourages simple living, which is the principle that students are encouraged to live a more simplistic lifestyle while on an AB to fully commit themselves to the experience.

AB Program History

During the 2017-2018 academic year, thanks to funding from the �� Presidential Award Grant, the Alternative Service Break (ASB) program was created. The program started off as a co-curricular service-learning program that worked to expanded community engagement opportunities for students at the University of North Georgia. ASB educates students about social issues and communities in need through a hands-on, experiential learning opportunity with the goal of developing students into active citizens. To ensure the reciprocal benefit, the trip was intentionally designed to provide strong direct service, orientation to the social issue and site, education, training, reflection, reorientation, and diversity, while remaining alcohol and other drug free.

In the infancy of the program the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic started and ASB stopped formally hosting trips. The program was able to be restarted in the year 2023 under new advisory leadership and officially rebranded to Alternative Breaks (AB).

The revamped programmed added a greater emphasis on connecting student’s social identities to their service experiences and helping them better understanding underlying social issues and deepen their awareness of critical societal challenges.This included incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goals into the program.

Past Trips

Fall Break 2025: Shady Grove Campground - Forsyth County Parks & Recreation
- SD Goal: Life on Land
Spring Break 2025: Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center – Washburn, Tennessee
- SD Goal: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Fall Break 2024: Vogel State Park - Blairsville Georgia
- SD Goal: Life on Land
Spring Break 2024: Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth, and Reconciliation - Selma, Alabama
- SD Goal: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Spring Break 2023: Earth Kin (Once Upon a Time) - Walland, TN (Great Smoky Mountain)
- SD Goal: Life on Land
COVID-19 Break 2020 -2022
Spring Break 2019: Foxfire (Appalachian Culture Education) Clayton, GA
Spring Break 2018: Foxfire (Appalachian Culture Education) Clayton, GA
Spring Break 2017: Lula Lake Land Trust – Lookout Mountain, GA

Mission & Vision

Mission

The University of North Georgia Alternative Break program empowers students to engage in immersive service-learning experiences and foster a more equitable and inclusive society through education, reflection, and service. We create community-conscious and educated students who are committed to pursuing social issues and positive social change in diverse communities.

Vision

Our vision is to cultivate a community of socially conscious and educated students who collaborate to address critical social issues and contribute to a just and thriving global society. We strive to expand our collective identity as a multi-campus institution to unite our students in our on-going mission of creating meaningful and positive impact as community collaborators.

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