Alternative Breaks
Embark on adventure and make a difference this spring break. Alternative Breaks take you out of the classroom to learn from communities, immersing you in engaging, hands-on explorations of social and environmental issues through meaningful service projects and dialogue.
During an Alternative Break trip you’ll be part of a team of 8-12 passionate students. Your team will engage in direct service projects, join in educational conversations with inspiring leaders, and reflect on how your experience has fostered new knowledge, skills, and perspectives. Every Alternative Break includes community immersion time where you’ll explore the city’s history and culture through team-planned recreation and sightseeing activities.
You’ll return inspired and empowered to create positive change in your own community.
Students can earn academic credit(s) for attending an Alternative Break trip. To explore your options, contact Experiential Learning Program Manager, Jenah Mead, at jenah.mead@mso.umt.edu.
Upcoming Alternative Breaks
Applications are now CLOSED for our Spring 2025 trips.
-
Explore youth homelessness, its root causes, and how organizations are fighting to end it while engaging in meaningful direct service and discussion in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
In King County, almost 1,100 youth and young adults experience homelessness on any given night and around 70% of those young people sleep outside because of lack of shelter or housing. This spring break, we will partner with nonprofits that make a difference in the lives of Seattle's youth and families by providing them with shelter, meals, job training, education, and support. Our service projects may include serving meals, building transitional tiny homes, deep-cleaning shelters, and prepping and packing weekend supplies to be delivered to King County students in need.
From the Sound to the Northern Cascades, Seattle is steeped in natural beauty and world-class attractions. On our community immersion day, we will explore Seattle through team-organized activities that may include visiting Pike Place Market, taking a ferry ride to a nearby island, or touring magical museums, like the Museum of Pop Culture.
Please note: Some food projects may ask participants to work with common allergens or meat. We will work to find suitable accommodations to the best of our ability.
Dates: March 16th - 23rd, 2025
Lodging: TBD
Cost: $250. Scholarships may be available.
Application Deadline: January 31st, 2025
-
Spend your Spring Break making a difference on the Coast and help restore one of the last remaining native dune habitats in the United States.
Point Reyes National Seashore provides critical habitat for federally listed flora and fauna, including the threatened Western Snowy Plover and the endangered Myrtle's Silverspot Butterfly. One of the biggest threats to these rare species' recovery is the spread of invasive, non-native plant species which replace native dune grasses, alter sand movement and dune structure, and deplete habitat function for native plants and animals uniquely adapted to this coastal environment. This spring break, we will partner with the U.S. National Park Service to remove these invasive plants and restore coastal dune habitat of critical ecological importance in the park.
The Seashore is home to a rich abundance of plants and animals seen few places on earth. During our service week, we may have the opportunity to watch Gray Whales migrating from the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, view Tule Elk at Tomales Point, and observe the Elephant Seal colony and their new pups on Drakes Bay. On our community immersion day we'll continue to explore our local area through team-organized activities that may include walking among old growth Redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument and sightseeing in San Francisco.
Dates: March 15th - 23rd, 2025
Lodging:
Cost: $350. Scholarships may be available.
Application Deadline: January 31st, 2025
Read about our last Alternative Break here. On this trip, 12 UM Students traveled to Seattle, Washington, and tackled the youth homelessness crisis in that area by assisting in updating and cleaning housing solutions, cooking meals, sorting and organizing clothing and hygiene products, as well as working in a community garden! Plus they got to explore the city and immerse themselves in Seattle's vibrant culture.