The Alternative Break Program is unique. To make a trip successful, there has to be a great deal of trust, collaboration, and teamwork among everyone involved.
To make sure that happens, we require all participants to abide by some basic rules and policies. You’ll learn more about those after you’re selected, but we’ll outline the basics here.
It’s important that you pay your program fee as soon as you can after being notified that you’ve been selected for a trip.
Also, please note that the fee is nonrefundable. This is to encourage you to fully commit to the program—there are dozens of students on the wait list, so you shouldn’t take a spot if you aren’t sure you will participate. And since the trip fee goes toward paying trip expenses, we need the money in hand to support the trip cost in the event that we can’t fill your spot from the wait list.
Plan on attending all four Pre-Trip Education meetings.
They’re designed to be educationally meaningful experiences focused on integrating your alternative break (AB) team, educating you on the social issue(s) of the trip, and learning about the trip destination. They are around two hours long and are facilitated by the AB trip leaders.
The PTE meetings are mandatory and failure to attend them may result in removal from the trip with no refund.
Alternative Breaks are drug- and alcohol-free experiences.
As an AB participant, Trip Leader, or advisor, you are not allowed to consume, purchase, be under the influence of, or possess any alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs at any AB sanctioned events. Policy violations will result in removal from the trip at your own expense.
The Office of Student Conduct will follow up with these policy violations.
Your personal safety is our primary concern.
Our AB Trip Leaders go to great lengths to ensure the community and housing partners are in a safe and secure location. Transportation is safe and reliable, as we rent vehicles through Indiana University’s partnership with Enterprise; vehicles are well maintained and sometimes brand new. All drivers are 21 years old, have a valid license, and go through an approval process by Indiana University to ensure they are safe drivers.
If you are injured or become ill while on the trip, your Trip Leaders and advisor will support you. First aid kits are required on the trip and, should it become necessary, the advisor will ensure you get the medical care you need.
AB Trip Leaders and advisors are trained to be responsible agents of the university. They uphold policies and procedures to ensure all participants engage safely within the trip.
Additionally, the leaders and advisors have an emergency procedures handbook specifying that they contact university administration if an emergency occurs. If you violate Alternative Break Program policies, the advisor has the authority to send you home at your own expense. Upon returning to IUPUI, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.
A few weeks after you return home, you’ll be invited to attend a reorientation event.
The event connects you back to your social issue and your community after the trip. You’ll reunite with your AB team and do several hours of service at a community organization that is dedicated to the same, or similar, social issue that you focused on for the AB trip.
After your service is completed, you’ll meet with all the other alternative break groups to share your experiences. You’ll also engage in reflection activities over lunch (which we’ll provide).
