ABSTRACT
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in one of the most deadly and destructive natural disasters in US history. Staff and students involved in alternative break programs are excited by the model, and better understand how to implement collective action with alternative breaks as opposed to just reporting collective numbers. The effectiveness of the Haiti Compact and demand for other compacts has helped shape a more general sense of best practices for this type of collaboration. Replication of the Haiti Compact model is spreading through the movement, as high-functioning collaborations are organized by alternative break programs tied to a specific community or social issue. During the time of the Haiti Compact's growth and formation, Break Away staff excitedly took steps to form other compacts. Compacts and related collaborative efforts are growing and becoming one significant way in which alternative breaks are part of the larger social change process.
