Alternative Winter Break Experiences

Break away from your comfort zone, raise your awareness of social issues and injustices such as poverty, racism, and environmental issues. Learn to integrate justice and service into your everyday life. Trip locations are across the United States and International. Some examples of the types of service and learning experiences we do at the sites are:

• Spanish immersion and cultural diversity.
• Helping in impoverished areas doing community work, building and restoring homes, schools etc.
• Helping the homeless and serving in soup kitchens.
• Education, helping disadvantaged youth, working with inner city children and tutoring adults.
• Seeking justice through non-violence, resistance training.
• Environmental and eco-justice.

 2012-2013 Theme

"Turning to One Another"- Margaret Wheatley

"There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about.
Ask: 'What's possible?' not 'What's wrong?' Keep asking.
Notice what you care about. Assume that many others share your dreams.
Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters. Talk to people you know. Talk to people you don't know. Talk to people you never talk to.
Be intrigued by the differences you hear. Expect to be surprised. Treasure curiosity more than certainty.
Invite in everybody who cares to work on what's possible. Acknowledge that everyone is an expert about something. Know that creative solutions come from new connections.
Remember, you don't fear people whose story you know. Real listening always brings people closer together.
Trust that meaningful conversations can change your world.
Rely on human goodness. Stay together."

"I hope that everyone tries to be a part of an ABE at least one time during their college experience. It is such a wonderful way to spend a break. You create connections, not only with your group, but who you work with at the site you are at. I didn't want to leave. You will grow as a person and also discover that you can push yourself further than you know. Expand your limits, do an ABE!"

-2012 Participant