Alternative Breaks (Alt. Break)

Alternative Break ("Alt. Break" for short) is a unique social justice immersion program hosted by the Office of Spiritual Life and Civic Engagement during fall and spring breaks. Thematically based, Alt. Breaks provide students an opportunity to engage with a particular area of social justice and service on a deeper level than one-time lectures or volunteer events allow for. During Fall Break, students learn about locally-relevant social justice issues and how they fit into broader nation-wide/global issues. Spring Break offers students the opportunity to build relationships with community partners, cultivate awareness of social justice, and engage in reflection and solidarity with those we partner with for the break experience.

Previous alternative break themes have included: Indigenous Justice: Ongoing Impacts of Colonialism on Indigenous Communities, Gentrification in the 253, Civil Rights Then and Now (in Washington, DC), A Survey of Injustice in American Education, Sustainable Food Justice, Justice and Service in Tacoma, Immigration and Citizenship, and Service in Seattle: Engaging Poverty, Mass Incarceration, and Indigenous Justice.