ABSTRACT
The concept or active citizenship is a core dement or alternative breaks. Alternative breaks commonly take place over spring break, but trips may also happen during other breaks as programs become more institutionalized as part of colleges’ and universities’ community engagement culture. Alternative breaks are often referred to as transformational experiences because a primary goal of these trips is to provide students with tools to think critically, take new action on social issues when they return home, and be engaged in their communities throughout their lives in ways they otherwise would not have been. The best practices developed by Break Away to distinguish alternative breaks from service or mission trips are summarized in the eight components of quality alternative breaks.
