ABSTRACT
Community can fulfill our human needs for companionship, support, joy, and intellectual stimulation. Community can also be challenging, cause conflicts and discord, create disparity in sharing resources, and lead to disappointment and resentment. Community building in an alternative break team means creating a sense of belonging and camaraderie within a group that encourages safety, trust, and collective growth. In a high-functioning community of alternative breakers, team members respect each person's contributions, discuss deep and challenging issues, have fun, laugh a lot, and count on each other to contribute work equally. Community building also helps create the type of collaborative learning for which alternative breaks advocate. Social movements are driven by passionate people who come together to work for needed social change.
