Alternative Breaks

Alternative Breaks is a professional development opportunity for students to participate in an intensive service experience during a winter, spring, or weekend break. Travel to sites around the Midwest to work with local residents and learn how communities are addressing pressing social issues. Breaks are open to all K-State undergraduate, graduate, and international students.

Upcoming break

Garden City, Kansas
Sunday, Jan. 11 – Wednesday, Jan. 14

• Students meet on campus and travel together to Garden City
• Visit local schools to work in classrooms and learn how educators support students
• Tour Tyson Foods, Brookover Feed Yard and the Kansas Food Bank’s new regional center
• Eat authentic meals inspired by Garden City’s immigrant community
• Work alongside community partners in hands-on service projects addressing food insecurity
• Explore local markets, museums, and historic spaces to better understand the evolving culture of this rural town
• Dine with a city commissioner to gain insight into local decision-making, and connect over issues that shape the community
• Return with new insights into service, identity, and community, and a story that might change how you see Kansas

The cost to participate is $250 per student. The fee helps cover transportation, accommodation in Garden City, all meals and a K-State Service Teams T-shirt. Scholarships are available.

Students interested in participating should complete the online application by Monday, Dec. 22.

Questions or want to learn more? Email altbreaks@ksu.edu and we would love to connect with you.

Strengthen your leadership skills

Students often understand a community only from the outside—as citizens, patrons, or visitors—but stepping behind the scenes and engaging in the processes that sustain that community offers a deeper, more powerful form of professional development. Alternative breakers learn through service by preparing, acting, reflecting, and evaluating their experience; this intentional approach goes beyond volunteering to strengthen understanding of community impact while building personal leadership practice.

Fees and scholarships

The participant fee covers transportation via Enterprise Rentals, a grocery/food stipend and housing. Participants and site leaders are eligible for full or partial scholarships to cover the cost of their Alternative Break experience.

Week breaks

• Site Leaders: $125 total ($50 non-refundable + $75)
• Participants: $250 total ($50 non-refundable + $200)

Weekend breaks

• Cost is $10, participants will attend one team meeting prior to service experience.

Requirements

For site leaders

• Complete the application.
• Attend three hours of site leader trainings and one hour of one-on-one preparation with your co-site leader prior to your Alternative Break experience.
• Facilitate one pre-trip meeting with your Alternative Break Team.
• Work alongside staff to facilitate Active Citizen Summit activities with your team.
• Guide your team through daily reflections during the break. ​
• Provide logistical support for your team before and during break (transportation and purchasing).

For participants

• Complete the application.
• Attend Active Citizen Summit, one team meeting prior to break, and Active Citizen Summit Part II and be an engaged participant during all interactions.

About Our Locations

 

K-State is a member of Break Away. Break Away's mission is to train, assist and connect campuses and communities in promoting quality alternative break programs that inspire lifelong active citizenship.