Applications for alternative breaks are due by next Wednesday. Photo by Charlotte Lao/The Daily Campus
Students interested in applying for a fall or winter alternative break trip need to do so by Wednesday at noon, according to alternative breaks coordinator Brianna Gavigan.
Fall alternative break trips will take place Nov. 1-3. Photo by Charlotte Lao/The Daily Campus
Fall alternative break trips will take place Nov. 1-3. The fall trip to New Haven, Connecticut will focus on food insecurity in urban environments. The fall trip to New York City, New York will focus on HIV/AIDS awareness and advocacy, according to the UConn alternative break trip information page.
“We try not to focus on the location but on the social issue that the trip focuses on,” Gavigan said. “Every trip has a different social issue.”
Winter alternative break trips will take place in January of 2020. The winter trip to Los Jazmines, Costa Rica will focus on community development. The winter trip to Birmingham, Alabama will focus on civil rights and urban poverty.
Trips vary in cost but can be very inexpensive, Gavigan said.
“Some trips are $40 for a weekend trip to a bit more expensive for a flying trip,” Gavigan said.
The UConn Community Outreach office, which manages the alt break office, has a partnership with the Undergraduate Student Government so that students interested in an alt break trip can apply for up to 50% off to help defray the costs.
“We encourage all of our applicants to apply to a scholarship,” Gavigan said.
Gavigan said each trip is student-led by those who have traveled before on a trip.
“One of the facets that I find most valuable is that we really are student-led and staff advised,” Gavigan said. “So all of our trips are led by students who have gone on a trip before. I really enjoy that piece because we work for the entire year. I equate it to a professional experience.”
Luke Hajdasz is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at luke.hajdasz@uconn.edu.
