Achiote, Panama The oldest of the international alternative break trips, participants will work with a local community center focusing on environmental conservation and ecotourism. The group will experience the culture and customs of Panama while assisting a local organization (CEASPA) with construction and environmental projects. Previous participants have helped build a museum, done trail work, and have enjoyed getting familiar with the citizens, customs, and animals in the small village of Achiote. This is a flying trip and is perfect if you truly want to experience another culture and work with your hands!
Atlanta, Georgia Partnering with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), this trip focuses on providing opportunities for refugees to thrive in America. Each year, thousands of refugees are invited by the U.S. government to seek safety and freedom. Forced to flee conflict or persecution, many have survived for years against incredible odds. They step off the plane with next to nothing but their dignity, hope and determination. In Atlanta and many other regional offices across the country, the IRC helps them rebuild their lives. This is our second year working with this agency and is a flying trip.
Boulder Creek, California Beautiful Boulder Creek is home to YMCA Camp Campbell, a quirky, cool outdoor education camp set within the heart of the Redwood forest. Participants will serve as cabin counselors to a group of fifth and sixth grade students from schools all over Northern California. As counselors, alternative breakers will partake in nature hikes, camp songs and activities, and overall engagement in outdoor youth education. Banana slugs and compost included! This is a spring flying trip specifically for 2nd year students at CSU. This trip is planned in collaboration with Orientation and Transition Programs at CSU.
Catalina, California This trip focuses on environmental issues and is the longest standing partnership with Alternative Break Trips at CSU (15 year history!). Participants stay in Catalina Island Camps, on Catalina Island, which is located southwest of Los Angeles (beautiful!) and participate in numerous environmental projects including trail building/repair, environmental education projects, and landscaping. In addition to volunteer work, participants will also have the opportunity to experience a ropes course and snorkeling on the island. This is a flying trip.
Denver, Colorado. Explore sustainability in Northern Colorado from the soil up! Focusing on sustainable business responsibility from places like New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, local food options such as SAME Cafe in Denver and sustainable living practices from the Denver water reclamation plant. We will evaluate sustainability from many angles to get a big picture at how we effect the environment and what we can do to reduce our impact as individuals and communities. This is a driving trip.
Kanab, Utah The Kanab trip will feature volunteer work at the Best Friends Animal Society, the nation’s largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals. Best Friends operates a low cost spay/neuter program, sponsors a network of members in rescue, foster care and humane education programs with the goal of bringing about a time when there will be NO MORE HOMELESS PETS. Put your love for animals “in action” by pitching in to help walk dogs, cuddle cats, assist with agency mailings and much more. CSU participants will also have a “fun day” to explore majestic red rock country of Utah. This is a driving trip for CSU. If you are a closeted “cat woman” or just really miss your dog at home, then this is the trip for you.
Kansas City, Missouri The Kansas City trip focuses on urban youth, poverty, and also explores issues of race in the United States. We partner with Operation Breakthrough, a non-profit organization that helps children who are living in poverty develop to their fullest potential by providing them a save, loving, and educational environment. Operation Breakthrough also strives to support and empower the children’s families through advocacy, referral services and emergency aid. In a nutshell, if you participate on this trip, you’ll get to hang out with some REALLY cute little kids! This is a driving trip.
Maryville, Tennessee Participants road tripping to Maryville will work with Once Upon a Time, an agency whose mission focuses on the Cherokee Nation and rural Appalachia, and preserving the incredibly rich natural environment in this world biosphere. Volunteers at this site will have the opportunity to do a huge variety of work including 1 day in the Snowbird Cherokee community, 1 day doing trail maintenance, 1/2 day working in the woodshop building wood duck or bluebird boxes, ½ day for a project at Sequoyah Museum, and 1 day on homesteading activities. In addition to service work, volunteers will have the opportunity to learn Cherokee stories, language, and beading, do a night hike, and tell “Mountain Man” stories around the bonfire. This will be CSU’s seventh year in Maryville.
Moab, Utah The Moab trip will feature volunteer work with Plateau Restoration, a non-profit organization whose mission it is to “protect and restore of native habitats” of the Plateau through hands-on research, education, re-vegetation, and restoration.” Volunteers can expect awesome scenery, spirited presentations by experienced educators on natural history, geology, human history and resource issues, volunteer work removing invasive species, and a “fun day” exploring the wilderness. If you are the kind of person who loves the outdoors AND volunteering - this is the trip for you. This is a driving trip.
New Orleans, Louisiana (2 trips: 1 trip exclusively for Alpha Phi Omega and 1 trip for the general CSU student population). The New Orleans trips will feature volunteer work with the St. Bernard Project helping to support disaster relief by rebuilding homes in St. Bernard Parish. As reconstruction continues in New Orleans, St. Bernard is in constant need of volunteers to complete the volume of building projects that they are sponsoring. Volunteers will be doing construction work, enjoying the New Orleans culture and working with other volunteer groups from around the nation. This is a flying trip.
New York City, New York Partnering with the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), the first and oldest organization in New York City committed to the fight against AIDS, this trip centers on HIV/AIDS. GMHC’s mission statement is “to reduce the spread of HIV disease, help people with HIV maintain and improve their health and independence, and keep the prevention, treatment and cure of HIV an urgent national and local priority. In fulfilling this mission, we will remain true to our heritage by fighting homophobia and affirming the individual dignity of all gay men and lesbians.” Participants on this trip can anticipate volunteering as a client library assistant, kitchen and pantry assistant and interacting with the diverse GMHC clients all in the great city that never sleeps! This is a flying trip.
Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota The Pine Ridge Reservation trip revolves around building sustainability and cross cultural connections with the Lakota tribe of South Dakota. Collaborating with the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center, participants will learn how renewable energy can directly help entire communities across the Dakota region. Alternative breakers will also get the chance to experience Lakota traditions and gain insight into life on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This trip is all about helping communities sustain their natural resources through human connections. This is a driving trip.
Washington D.C. Beginning with the Student Homeless Challenge Project, students will get the chance to redefine their perspective on the meaning of the word “home”. After 48 hours of the homeless challenge, participants will volunteer at with Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV), the nation's largest transitional homeless shelter, and other agencies in Washington D.C. that support individuals experiencing homelessness. By partnering with various agencies in the DC area, students will gain a better awareness of the many facets of homelessness in America. This is a flying trip.
The Kenya Alternative Winter break will be an incredible opportunity for students to participate in service-learning while immersing students in local culture. Students will work with numerous organizations: the Umoja village, a local women’s village and cooperative; Gir Gir & Muslim Primary Schools, both K-8 local schools; Save the Elephants, a non-profit wildlife research organization, and the Samburu Youth Education Fund. Participants may also have the opportunity to be invited into cultural events and experiences that facilitate a natural sense of place and deeper understanding of the Samburu culture. A detailed description of our community partners is available below.
Umoja (pronounced oo-moe-juh; Swahili for "we are one") and Unity Women’s Villages
These two village of 12-15 women each comprise women who left their homes following violence, abuse, early pregnancy or a similar circumstance. The women operate as a co-op, producing beaded necklaces and bracelets primarily for purchase by tourists. Service will be a variety of projects, including coordination of a girls’ conservation club and various village projects.
Lorubae Primary School
Lorubae Primary School is in the community of Archer’s Post in Samburu. It has about 300 students in K-8 grades and is typically under-resourced in terms of teachers, supplies and materials. Participants’ primary experience will likely include teaching students in core subjects such as English and science, and leading field trips to nearby protected areas.
Samburu Youth Education Fund
SYEF focuses its efforts on improving access to secondary school for Samburu youth. With tuition and room/board costs for secondary school starting around $500+ annually, it is difficult for youth from impoverished parts of the country to enroll. We will assist SYEF by convening its youth recipients to check in about their school progress, celebrate their successes and gathering stories for SYEF to use in its future fundraising.
The trip will take place December 28, 2013-January 13, 2014.