Alternative Breaks Handbook 2014-2015 Final

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Street, NW | Washington, DC 20052 | gwaltbreaks@gmail.com | gwalternativebreaks.wordpress.com

2014-‐2015

Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

800 21
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2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

The
purpose
of
this
handbook
is
to
accurately
describe,
outline,
and
present
materials
covered

throughout
the
2014-‐2015
Alternative
Breaks
year.
Over
the
course
of
the
manual,
we
hope
to
prepare

all
leaders
for
the
upcoming
year
in
the
key
aspects
of
leading
an
Alternative
Breaks
trip,
which
includes

the
tasks,
policies,
and
actions
that
will
be
most
pertinent
to
our
trip
leaders.

Written
and
Compiled
by:
Alex
Immekus,
2013-‐14
Leadership
Development
Chair

Contributions
by:

Becca
Rich
&
Sarah
Carson,
2013-‐14
Executive
Co-‐Chairs

Kelly
Emerson
&
Siddhi
Salvi,
2013-‐14
Financial
Co-‐Chairs

Rauvin
Johl
&
Pat
Cero,
2013-‐14
Fundraising
and
Development
Co-‐Chairs

Avra
Bossov
&
Audrey
Alexander,
2013-‐14
Public
Relations
Co-‐Chairs

Mike
Cuttler,
2013-‐14
Operations
Chair

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Table
of
Contents

Mission
Statement
...............................................................................................................................
5

Core
Values
..........................................................................................................................................
6

Alternative
Breaks
Policies
...................................................................................................................
7

Expectations
for
Leaders
.......................................................................................................................
8

Time
Commitment:
In
Total
~6-‐12
Hours/Week
(Varies)
8

Finance
...............................................................................................................................................
10

Budgets
10

Deposits
10

Withdrawal
and
Refund
Policy
11

Fundraising
Deadlines
12

Turning
in
Fundraising
Profits
12

Online
Donations
12

Weekly
Financial
Reports
13

Updating
Trip
Roster
13

Tax
Exempt
Status
13

Reimbursement
Policy
13

Trip
Logistics
14

Petty
Cash
14

Proper
Use
of
Funds
14

Fund
Reconciliation
14

Underfunded
Trips
15

Overfunded
Trips
15

Reserving
Space
15

Fundraising
.........................................................................................................................................
17

Letter
Writing
Campaign
17

Corporate
Sponsorships
18

Booking
Space
19

Raffles
19

Bake
Sales
19

Common
Profit
Shares
20

Grants
20

Program-‐wide
Events
20

Fundraising
Calendar
21

Sample
Fundraising
Plan
22

Sample
Fundraising
Letter
23

Participant
Recruitment
and
Selection
................................................................................................
24

Recruitment
24

Selection
24

Learning
Partners
...............................................................................................................................
25

Basics
25

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Learning
Partner
Selection
26

Joining
the
Leadership
Team
27

Pre-‐Trip
Education
..............................................................................................................................
28

Purpose
28

Choosing
Topics
29

Choosing
Materials
31

Frequency
and
Length
32

Crafting
a
Lesson
32

Pre-‐
and
Post-‐Trip
Service
...................................................................................................................
33

Reflection
...........................................................................................................................................
34

Guidelines
for
Successful
Reflection
34

Reflection
Facilitation
Techniques
35

Guiding
Questions
35

Crafting
a
Successful
Reflection
35

Reflection
Strategies
36

Public
Relations
and
Social
Media
.......................................................................................................
37

Creating
Accounts
37

Twitter
and
Facebook
38

General
Social
Media
Tips
38

Sample
Tweets
and
Posts
39

Emergency
or
Difficult
Scenarios
.........................................................................................................
40

Transportation
40

Group
Dynamics
41

Service
Site
43

Money
44

Medical
44

Miscellaneous
45

2014-‐2015
Trip
Destinations
...............................................................................................................
46

Alternative
Winter
Breaks
January
3-‐11,
2015
46

Alternative
Spring
Breaks

March
7-‐15,
2015
47

Executive
Board
and
Staff
Members
...................................................................................................
49

Executive
Co-‐Chairs
49

Leadership
Development
Co-‐Chairs
50

Financial
Co-‐Chairs
51

Public
Relations
Co-‐Chairs
52

Fundraising
and
Development
Co-‐Chairs
53

Center
for
Civic
Engagement
and
Public
Service
Staff
Members
54

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Mission
Statement

GW
Alternative
Breaks’
mission
is
to
empower
students,
staff,
and

faculty
to
understand
their
role
in
local
and
global
communities

through
service-‐learning
trips
across
many
issue
areas.
Our
goal
is

to
foster
personal
reflection,
social
awareness,
and
active

citizenship
among
the
GW
Community.

As
a
part
of
the
GW
Alternative
Breaks
community,
it
is
our
responsibility
to
ensure
that
we

fulfill
the
mission
and
goals
of
our
program.
As
leaders,
it
falls
upon
you
to
execute
the
mission

of
the
program
and
ensure
the
long-‐term
success
of
GW
Alternative
Breaks
as
well
as

respecting
the
core
components
that
have
made
our
GW
Alternative
Breaks
program
the

special
experience
that
it
has
been
for
the
past
nine
years.

Empower
students,
staff,
and
faculty.

Alternative
Breaks
leaders
have
the
daunting
role
of
being
both
managerial
and
inspirational.
It

falls
upon
trip
leaders
to
create
situations
and
opportunities
for
all
people
involved
with
the

program
to
step
up
to
a
challenge
and
flourish.
This
mindset
of
providing
opportunity
should
be

front
and
center
within
our
leaders
as
they
execute
at
every
stage
of
leadership.
Leaders
will

take
away
a
lot
from
this
experience,
but
our
primary
role
is
to
provide
areas
of
growth
and

leadership
for
our
participants.

Foster
personal
reflection,
social
awareness,
and
active
citizenship.

Through
pre-‐trip
activities,
service,
and
on-‐site
reflection,
leaders
must
find
ways
to
engage

their
participants
in
well-‐rounded
and
complex
ways.
We
seek,
as
a
program,
to
provide

students
with
lasting
skills
that
will
translate
into
better
students
and
citizens.
This
is
in
line

with
the
mission
of
the
GW
Center
for
Civic
Engagement
and
Public
Service
as
well
as

Alternative
Breaks.

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Core
Values

Serve.

The
central
aspect
of
the
Alternative
Breaks
program
is
to
perform
community
service.
As
we

immerse
ourselves
within
communities,
our
trips
seek
to
better
these
communities
in
many

different
ways.
Whether
we
focus
on
tangible
service
(such
as
building
houses
or
digging

trenches)
or
intangible
service
(youth
outreach
or
community
empowerment),
our
impact
on

the
communities
we
serve
is
the
driving
force
for
the
program.

Over
the
course
of
two
weeks,
the
leaders,
learning
partners,
and
participants
will
perform

more
than
6,000
hours
of
community
service
in
18
different
locations.
The
effects
of
our
efforts

will
last
significantly
longer
than
the
week
we
spend
there,
acting
as
a
type
of
ambassadorial

program
on
behalf
of
the
George
Washington
University,
the
Center
for
Civic
Engagement
and

Public
Service,
and
the
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Program.

Learn.

We
pride
ourselves
on
being
able
to
take
the
issue
areas
that
we
engage
in
and
translate
that

into
material
for
the
participants
of
the
program.
Without
an
educational
component,

Alternative
Breaks
would
fail
in
its
mission
to
better
every
person
who
becomes
a
part
of
it.
We

promote
engaged
learning
and
substantive
takeaways
from
these
experiences.

Discover.

Through
Alternative
Breaks,
many
participants
and
leaders
come
back
saying
they
have

“changed”
because
of
this
trip.
Through
active
service
and
reflection,
all
participants
in

Alternative
Breaks
have
the
ability
to
discover
more
about
themselves,
these
communities,
and

the
passions
that
they
bring
to
the
program.

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Alternative
Breaks
Policies

Drug
and
Alcohol
Free
Program

Alternative
Breaks
is
a
drug
and
alcohol
free
program,
meaning
that
no
event
associated

with
the
program
may
have
drugs
or
alcohol
involved.
There
are
a
few
reasons
as
to
why

this
policy
was
instated.

Safety
of
our
participants,
leaders,
and
learning
partners
is
a
major
concern.
Some
trips

serve
on
construction
sites
working
with
power
tools
where
being
under
the
influence

of
drugs
and
alcohol
would
pose
a
hazardous
risk.

Being
an
alcohol
and
drug
free
program
also
sets
us
apart
when
fundraising
as
we
can

clearly
distinguish
ourselves
from
traditional
spring
breakers
or
those
who
travel
abroad

by
advertising
our
focus
on
community
impact
and
our
lack
of
drugs
and
alcohol.

At
no
point
during
the
trips
should
leaders
or
participants
consume
any
alcohol
or
drugs.

The
official
policy
in
this
event
is
that
the
offending
participant
or
leader
will
be
sent
to

an
airport,
bus
depot,
or
train
station
where
they
will
be
responsible
for
the
costs
of

returning
to
Washington.
There
are
no
exceptions
to
this
policy
and
all
leaders
must

enforce
it.

This
policy
extends
beyond
the
trips,
however.
All
participants
in
the
program
are

expected
to
remain
drug
and
alcohol
free
at
all
Alternative
Break
functions,
fundraisers,

and
events;
this
includes
large
fundraisers
like
Alternative
Breaks
Ball.

GW
Passport

All
trip
leaders,
learning
partners,
and
participants
must
fill
out
the
requisite
forms

through
the
GW
Passport
portal
(passport.gwu.edu).
These
forms
fulfill
the
waiver

requirements
for
GW,
the
Center
for
Civic
Engagement
and
Public
Service,
and
the

Alternative
Breaks
program.

Forms
will
be
made
available
during
the
semester
that
the
trips
leave.
We
generate

these
forms
based
on
the
rosters
provided
by
trip
leaders.
If
these
rosters
are

inaccurate,
participants
will
not
have
access
to
the
forms.
Trip
rosters
should
include

First
&
Last
Name,
GWID,
and
email
address.
Other
information
may
be
helpful
for

leaders,
such
as
t-‐shirt
size,
cell-‐phone
number,
etc.
but
the
Executive
Board
only
needs

those
three
pieces
of
information.

A
step-‐by-‐step
process
for
completing
these
forms
will
be
provided
at
a
later
date.

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Expectations
for
Leaders

Time
Commitment:
In
Total
~6-‐12
Hours/Week
(Varies)

All-‐Leader
Training

All
leaders
in
the
Alternative
Breaks
Program
must
attend
the
mandatory
leader
training

program.
In
addition
to
providing
pertinent
logistical
information
and
key
requirements,

the
training
will
serve
as
an
opportunity
to
learn
the
necessary
skills
to
lead
an

Alternative
Break
trip.

Leader
training
will
take
approximately
12
hours
over
the
course
of
two
separate
days.

The
dates
for
leader
training
are
Sunday,
September
21st

and
Sunday,
September
28th
.

No
excuses
for
trips
home,
family
visits,
or
other
things
that
can
be
preemptively
avoided

will
be
accepted.
This
is
a
key
aspect
of
the
Alternative
Breaks
program
and
we
want

perfect
attendance.

All-‐Leader
Meetings

All-‐leader
meetings
last
approximately
one
hour
and
occur
every
other
week
for
the

duration
of
the
year.
Winter
leaders
are
only
required
to
attend
meetings
that
happen

in
the
first
semester.
Once
these
dates
are
solidified
by
the
Executive
Board
you
will
be

notified
of
dates,
times,
and
locations.
These
meetings
are
also
mandatory
and
we

expect
all
leaders
to
be
in
attendance.

Topics
covered
may
include
logistics,
participant
and
learning
partner
selection,
and

assorted
skills
training.
Much
of
the
information
provided
by
the
Executive
Board

throughout
the
semester
will
be
given
at
these
bi-‐weekly
meetings.
These
meetings
may

include
additional
leadership
training
and
will
be
beneficial
to
all
leaders.

Office
Hours

Every
leader
in
the
Alternative
Breaks
program
is
required
to
hold
at
least
two
hours
of

office
hours
each
week
before
their
trip
leaves.
We
highly
encourage
and
recommend

that
leadership
teams
for
each
trip
plan
their
office
hours
together,
but
we
understand

that
this
schedule
may
be
difficult.

Office
hours
are
an
opportunity
to
plan
your
trips,
contact
organizations,
and
other

miscellaneous
tasks
that
arise
throughout
the
year.
The
Executive
Board
will
also

provide
a
weekly
list
of
tasks
for
leaders
to
accomplish
during
their
office
hours,
which

may
include
assisting
with
program-‐wide
tasks
such
as
postering
for
events.

Trip
Advising

Each
leadership
team
will
be
required
to
meet
bi-‐weekly
with
their
assigned
Trip
Advisor

on
the
Executive
Board.
These
meetings
will
be
an
opportunity
to
address
any

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leadership
concerns
that
you
may
have.
They
also
serve
as
a
benchmark
for
how
far

along
trips
are
in
the
planning
stages
and
allow
the
Executive
Board
to
provide

supplemental
guidance
if
desired.

Participant
Meetings

Trips
should
hold
meetings
with
their
participants
on
a
frequent
basis.
This
means
a

meeting
of
at
least
one
hour
weekly
in
the
semester
of
your
trip
and
biweekly
first

semester
for
spring
leaders.
These
meetings
will
ideally
cover
logistics
of
your
trip,
pre-‐
trip
educational
materials,
and
any
other
information
that
should
be
passed
from
the

leaders
to
the
program
participants.

In
the
event
of
larger
trips
that
are
broken
into
small
groups,
a
meeting
with
all

participants
should
happen
at
least
once
a
month
throughout
the
year.
Meetings
among

small
groups
should
occupy
the
rest
of
the
time
in
order
to
meet
the
weekly

requirements.

Participant
Selection

Winter
Selection
will
be
on
Sunday,
September
21st
.
Spring
Selection
will
be
on
Sunday

September
28th
.
This
is
a
mandatory
event
for
all
leaders.
Time
conflicts
that
can
be

avoided
ahead
of
time
will
not
be
accepted
as
excuses.
Selection
is
a
name-‐blind
process

in
which
leaders
read
applications
and
score
them.
You
will
have
access
to
demographic

information
about
applicants
but
no
names.

Participant
selection
could
take
as
few
as
three
hours
or
significantly
longer,
depending

on
each
trip’s
situation.
GW
Alternative
Breaks
fully
expects
each
and
every
leader
to
be

prepared
for
the
level
of
time
commitment
this
requires.

Time
Spent
Fundraising

Each
leadership
team
is
responsible
for
fundraising
the
entirety
of
their
trip
budget
that

is
not
covered
by
participant/leader
trip
fees
and
any
initial
investment
made
by
the
GW

Alternative
Breaks
Executive
Board.
Leaders
will
also
participate
in
program-‐wide

fundraising
efforts,
which
should
be
taken
into
account.

Time
spent
fundraising
will
vary
depending
on
the
amount
that
must
be
fundraised,
but

will
take
up
a
significant
portion
of
pre-‐departure
time
commitments
for
most,
if
not
all,

of
the
leaders.

Miscellaneous
Commitments

Being
an
Alternative
Breaks
leader
also
requires
a
degree
of
flexibility
with
regard
to

your
responsibilities.
Some
miscellaneous
things
may
arise
over
the
course
of
the

semester
or
year
including,
but
not
limited
to,
postering,
assisting
Executive
Board

members
with
smaller
tasks,
tabling
for
the
program,
etc.
While
not
easy
to
plan
for,

leaders
should
be
aware
of
and
ready
to
help
in
these
situations.

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Finance

Budgets

You
should
begin
working
on
your
trip
budget
right
away.
You
have
been
provided
with
a

budget
template
and
also
information
regarding
last
year’s
trip
cost.
If
you
are
leading
a
new

trip,
you
have
received
information
about
the
cost
of
a
trip
from
last
year
that
is
similar
to
your

new
trip.
When
you
are
making
your
initial
budget
it
is
extremely
important
to
over-‐budget
for

everything.

As
the
year
progresses
you
should
be
sending
the
Financial
Chairs
updated
budgets
with
more

specific
dollar
amounts
since
you
will
have
begun
to
make
final
purchases
for
your
trip.
It
is

important
to
ensure
that
the
Financial
Chairs
always
have
the
most
updated
version
of
your

budget.
Fundraising
updates
and
financial
reports
will
be
based
off
of
the
latest
submitted

budgets
for
each
trip.

Trip
Fees
(Formerly
Deposits)

Trip
fees
will
be
set
by
trip
leaders
each
year
depending
on
the
financial
constraints
of
their

budget.
International
trips
will
have
a
maximum
fee
of
$800
while
domestic
trips
may
vary.
The

listed
fee
is
the
amount
required
of
participants
two
weeks
after
their
acceptance
to
a
trip.
This

includes
when
participants
are
drawn
from
a
waitlist.

Leaders
are
required
to
pay
1/2
of
the
listed
participant
fee
for
their
trip.
Leader
fees
are
due
at

the
same
time
as
participant
fees
(two
weeks
after
participant
selection).

Learning
partners
are
not
required
to
pay
a
trip
fee
and
must
be
factored
into
the
budget

regardless.

The
trip
fee
deadline
is
generally
two
weeks
after
the
participant
selection
date
but
the
official

deadline
will
be
provided
to
you
at
the
beginning
of
the
school
year.
However,
if
a
participant

or
leader
has
previously
signed
and
agreed
to
a
payment
plan
they
will
be
able
to
continue

making
their
payments
until
their
fee
is
paid
in
full.
Payment
plans
can
only
be
set
up
with
the

Financial
Chairs
and
it
must
be
done
before
the
trip
fee
deadline.
Additionally,
if
a
participant

joins
the
trip
after
the
initial
selection
process
they
may
pay
their
fee
outside
of
the
initial
two

week
date
range
but
they
must
pay
the
fee
within
two
weeks
of
receiving
notification
that
they

have
been
accepted
to
the
trip.

If
you
do
not
pay
your
trip
fee
by
the
deadline
set
by
the
Executive
Board,
you
will
be
removed

from
the
Alternative
Breaks
program.
If
you
are
on
a
payment
plan
and
do
not
pay
the

remaining
balance
of
your
fee
by
the
deadline,
you
will
be
removed
from
the
Alternative
Breaks

program
with
no
refund
provided.

Cash
is
not
an
acceptable
form
of
payment
for
trip
fees.

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Paying
by
GWorld:

GWorld
payments
for
trip
fees
will
be
accepted
during
the
initial
two
week
period
that
checks

are
accepted
for
winter
and
spring
trips
respectively.
If
a
participant
has
set
up
a
payment
plan,

GWorld
will
also
be
an
acceptable
form
of
payment
until
they
have
paid
their
trip
fees
in
full.

Additionally,
if
a
participant
is
a
late
addition
to
a
trip
they
have
two
weeks
from
notification
of

acceptance
to
pay
their
trip
fee
using
GWorld.

GWorld
payments
are
to
be
made
at
the
front
desk
of
Colonial
Crossroads
and
a
receipt
will
be

issued
following
payment.

Paying
by
Check:

Checks
for
trip
fees
should
be
made
during
the
designated
two
week
trip
fee
collection
period.

Checks
should
be
made
payable
to
The
George
Washington
University.
The
memo
line
on
the

check
should
include
your
name
and
the
name
of
your
trip.

Checks
should
be
brought
to
Colonial
Crossroads
where
the
front
desk
staff
will
contact
the

Financial
Chairs,
Joan
Mitchell,
or
Sara
Gruppo.
You
must
personally
turn
your
check
into
one
of

these
individuals
and
cannot
simply
leave
the
check
at
the
front
desk.

Paying
by
Credit
Card:

Credit
card
payments
will
be
processed
through
a
webpage
that
has
been
set
up
by
the
Center

for
Student
Engagement.
If
a
participant
or
leader
wishes
to
pay
their
trip
fees
online
they
must

go
to
the
following
website:

https://my.gwu.edu/mod/cse/

Steps
for
online
payment:

1. Under
personal
information,
input
your
name
and
your
school
address.

2. Under
Purpose
of
Payment,
choose
“Alternative
Breaks”.

3. Under
Payment
Information,
select
the
“Dues”
option.

4. In
the
specify
box,
write
the
name
of
your
trip.
i.e.
“GW
ASB
New
Orleans”

5. Under
Payment
Amount,
select
“Other
Amount”
and
type
the
trip
fee
amount.

6. In
Comments/Instructions
box,
reiterate
your
name
and
the
name
of
your
trip.

Withdrawal
and
Refund
Policy

Participants
must
submit
withdrawal
requests
from
the
Alternative
Breaks
program
in
writing

to
the
Executive
Board
and
Center
for
Civic
Engagement
&
Public
Service
Staff
by
a
specified

date
in
order
to
be
eligible
for
a
refund.
After
the
deadline,
no
refunds
will
be
provided.
This
is

due
to
the
fact
that
the
majority
of
the
expenses
for
Alternative
Breaks
are
considered
non-‐
recoverable.
An
expense
becomes
non-‐recoverable
when
it
has
already
been
paid
out
to
a

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vendor.
Non-‐recoverable
expenses
vary
by
individual
service
trip
and
may
include,
but
are
not

limited
to:
airfare,
housing,
other
ground
transportation,
and
site
administrative
fees.
The

dropped
participant’s
trip
fee
will
become
a
part
of
the
trip’s
fundraising
efforts.

Refunds
for
persons
withdrawing
due
to
medical
or
other
emergencies
may
be
considered
on
a

case
by
case
basis
by
the
Executive
Board
and
the
Center
for
Civic
Engagement
&
Public
Service

staff.

NOTE:
Service
trips
may
be
cancelled
or
changed
due
to
lack
of
participation,
unexpected

events,
financial
concerns,
and/or
safety
and
security
considerations.
If
an
alternative
option
is

not
available,
monies
may
be
refunded
as
conditions
allow.

Fundraising
Deadlines

The
fundraising
deadlines
will
be
announced
in
the
fall
of
2014.
The
winter
trip
fundraising

deadline
is
traditionally
in
December
while
the
spring
trip
fundraising
deadline
is
usually
in

February.

If
your
trip
does
not
meet
this
deadline,
the
remaining
cost
of
the
trip
will
be
split
between
the

leaders
and
participants,
resulting
in
everyone
having
to
pay
an
equal
portion
of
the
remaining

cost.
We
aim
to
ensure
that
every
trip,
regardless
of
fundraising
situation,
can
still
depart.

Turning
in
Fundraising
Profits

We
do
not
accept
cash,
which
means
you
will
only
be
able
to
turn
in
checks
from
fundraisers.

For
example,
if
you
have
a
bake
sale
we
recommend
having
one
of
the
leaders
deposit
the

money
into
their
personal
checking
account
and
then
write
a
check
to
GWU
for
the
amount
of

money
that
was
raised
at
the
fundraiser.

Checks
should
be
made
payable
to
The
George
Washington
University.
The
memo
line
on
the

check
should
include
the
name
of
the
fundraiser
and
the
name
of
your
trip.
Checks
should
be

brought
to
Colonial
Crossroads
where
the
front
desk
staff
will
contact
the
Financial
Chairs,
Joan

Mitchell,
or
Sara
Gruppo.
You
must
personally
turn
your
check
into
one
of
these
individuals
and

cannot
simply
leave
the
check
at
the
front
desk.

Online
Donations

Online
donations
are
done
through
the
Office
of
Development
and
Alumni
Relations.
Below
is

the
link
to
the
online
donation
form.

https://my.gwu.edu/mod/onlinegiving/index.cfm

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When
completing
the
form
make
sure
the
giver
checks
the
“Other”
option
under
the
Purpose
of

Gift
section.
Have
the
giver
write
in
Alternative
Breaks
Program
and
then
the
name
of
your
trip.

We
receive
reports
on
a
monthly
basis
from
the
Office
of
Development
and
Alumni
Relations

and
we
will
then
record
any
online
donations
that
have
been
made
on
behalf
of
your
trip
that

month.

Weekly
Financial
Reports

Weekly
financial
update
reports
will
be
sent
out
once
a
week
beginning
in
the
fall
semester.
The

report
will
include
how
much
money
your
trip
has
raised
in
trip
fees,
donations,
and

fundraisers.
The
report
will
also
tell
you
how
much
more
money
your
trip
needs
to
raise
in

order
to
meet
your
fundraising
goal.

Updating
Trip
Roster

As
participants
drop
out
and
new
participants
are
added
to
our
trip,
please
email
the
financial

chairs
the
updated
trip
roster
so
we
can
keep
accurate
records
about
participant
trip
fees.

This
is
important
not
only
for
financial
information,
but
for
keeping
track
of
which
people
need

to
fill
out
paperwork
for
the
Alternative
Breaks
program.

Tax
Exempt
Status

GW
is
a
tax-‐exempt
organization
and
as
such
so
is
Alternative
Breaks.
In
case
you
need
it,
our

EIN
number
is
53-‐0196584.

Reimbursement
Policy

Keep
in
mind
that
Alternative
Breaks
does
not
authorize
reimbursements.
We
expect
all

purchases
to
be
done
with
Joan
so
that
the
university
pays
the
vendor
directly.
If
you
feel
that

you
have
a
specific
situation
that
will
require
reimbursement
please
talk
to
us
about
it
before

you
pay
for
anything
with
your
own
personal
money.

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Trip
Logistics

For
all
of
your
trip
logistics
you
will
need
to
meet
with
Joan
Mitchell,
the
CCEPS
business

manager.
She
will
help
you
do
things
such
as
book
flights,
rent
buses/cars,
reserve
housing,
pay

site
fees,
pay
for
cultural
activities,
and
sign
contracts.
It
is
suggested
that
you
begin
meeting

with
her
right
after
Freshman
Day
of
Service
is
over.
The
sooner
you
meet
with
her
the
sooner

she
will
be
able
to
accommodate
your
requests
and
provide
you
with
the
confirmations.

Remember,
it
is
your
responsibility
to
ensure
that
all
of
the
relevant
and
appropriate
purchases

are
made
regarding
your
trip.

Petty
Cash

All
trips
will
receive
cash
before
their
trips
leave
to
be
used
as
emergency
funds
or
for
certain

on
site
expenditures
that
were
not
able
to
be
purchased
in
advance.
You
will
have
the
ability
to

request
petty
cash
several
weeks
before
your
trip
using
a
cash
advance
request
form.
In
order

for
you
to
receive
the
amount
you
want,
you
must
list
what
you
will
be
using
the
money
for
and

estimates
of
how
much
such
things
cost.

Proper
Use
of
Funds

All
funds
raised
for
your
trip
come
with
the
expectation
that
they
will
be
spent
responsibly.
This

means
that
all
meals
will
be
reasonably
priced,
lodging
and
transportation
will
be
included
at

reasonable
cost,
and
that
no
extraneous
purchases
will
be
made.
Trips
should
not
purchase

finer
foods
and
meals
as
this
is
a
waste
of
funds.

Extraneous
expenditures
are
anything
that
doesn’t
directly
benefit
the
trip.
We
do
not
want
our

trips
purchasing
items,
clothing,
or
any
other
material
good
that
does
not
have
an
immediate

impact
or
relevancy
to
your
trip.

First,
these
are
service
trips
and
we
are
attempting
to
benefit
others
who
are
disadvantaged.

Purchasing
overpriced
or
extraneous
things
would
run
counter
to
what
we
do.
Second,
these

trips
are
fundraised
with
the
help
of
generous
donors.
These
people
expect
the
money
they

donated
to
go
toward
community
service.
Any
improper
use
of
funds
will
not
be
tolerated.

Fund
Reconciliation

Upon
returning,
any
remaining
petty
cash
from
your
trip
must
be
turned
in
to
Joan
Mitchell
in

CCEPS.
Anything
you
purchased
using
petty
cash
or
a
university
Procurement
Card
must
have

receipts
as
proof
of
purchase.
In
addition,
each
trip
will
receive
expenditure
forms
that
you

must
fill
out
during
the
trip.
These
forms
track
your
spending
and
allow
us
to
verify
your

expenses.

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Underfunded
Trips

While
the
trip
leaders
and
Executive
Board
work
extremely
hard
during
the
year
to
ensure

every
trip
is
fully
funded,
we
understand
that
trips
may
not
reach
their
fundraising
goal
by
the

fundraising
deadline.
In
the
event
that
a
trip
does
not
fundraise
the
total
cost
by
the
fundraising

deadline,
the
remaining
balance
will
be
split
evenly
among
leaders
and
participants.
Trips
will

not
leave
without
these
funds.

Overfunded
Trips

A
much
better
predicament
to
have,
trips
may
also
fundraise
over
their
anticipated
budget.

Should
this
happen,
trip
leaders
have
two
options
with
the
excess
funds.

1. Donate
a
portion
of
the
funds
to
your
community
partner
organizations.
This
can
help

bolster
your
relationship
and
also
advance
their
mission.

2. Donate
the
remaining
funds
to
Alternative
Breaks.
These
funds
will
go
into
the
general

account
for
the
program
and
will
support
our
annual
programming
and
our
trips.

In
the
event
that
you
are
over-‐
or
under-‐fundraised,
please
work
closely
with
the
Financial
Co-‐
Chairs,
as
they
will
help
you
through
this
process.

Reserving
Space

If
you
want
to
use
space
for
a
fundraiser,
meeting,
or
another
event
you
will
most
likely
need
to

reserve
the
space.
Listed
below
are
all
of
the
spaces
at
the
university
that
require
reservations

as
well
as
links
to
the
websites
that
give
you
more
information
about
each
space.
If
you
want
to

reserve
a
space
you
will
need
to
contact
the
Executive
Board
Co-‐Chairs
or
Leadership

Development
Co-‐Chairs.

Large
Reception
Spaces:

Marvin
Center

Lisner
Auditorium

Jack
Morton
Auditorium

Alumni
House

City
View
Room

Academic
Buildings:

1776
G
Street

1957
E
Street

2020
K
Street

Bell
Hall

Corcoran
Hall

Duques
Hall

Funger
Hall

Gelman
Library

Hall
of
Government

Media
and
Public
Affairs
Building

Monroe
Hall

Old
Main

Phillips
Hall

Rome
Hall

Smith
Hall
of
Art

Mount
Vernon
Campus:

West
Hall

Eckles
Auditorium

Hand
Chapel

Post
Hall

Outdoor
Space:

Anniversary
Park

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Kogan
Plaza

Mid-‐Campus
Quad

Square
80

University
Yard

Veteran’s
Park

Tabling
and
Banner
Space:

H
Street
Banner
Space

H
Street
Terrace

Marvin
Center
1st

Floor
Lobby

All
the
spaces
above
must
be
booked
by
an
official
scheduler.
If
you
want
to
reserve
one
of

these
spaces
contact
one
of
the
Executive
Co-‐Chairs
or
one
of
the
Leadership
Development
Co-‐
Chairs.

Residence
Halls:

Ivory
Community
Room

South
Hall
Community
Room

Thurston
TV
Lounge

Thurston
Piano
Lounge

https://living.gwu.edu/sites/living.gwu.edu/files/downloads/2011-‐
2012CommonSpaceReservationForm3pdf.pdf

Keep
in
mind
that
not
all
of
these
spaces
are
free,
some
rooms
(especially
in
the
academic

buildings)
cost
money
depending
on
what
kind
of
set
up
you
want
and
whether
you
require
the

use
of
technology.

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Fundraising

Letter
Writing
Campaign

The
most
profitable
fundraiser
for
you
this
coming
year
will
be
your
letter
writing
campaign.
In

the
past,
some
trips
have
made
up
to
75%
of
their
fundraising
burden
through
the
letters.

Donations
will
vary
in
size,
but
general
fall
from
$25-‐$200
with
some
larger
donations

occasionally.
The
average
donation
in
2013-‐2014
was
$69.35.
This
is
70-‐100%
of
a
small
profit

share
and
roughly
35-‐50%
of
a
bake
sale
per
donation.

Try
to
keep
your
letter
to
a
single
page.
Anything
more
than
that,
or
even
having
to
use
the

back
of
a
piece
of
paper,
will
act
detrimentally
to
your
campaign.
Be
sure
to
include
when
and

where
you
are
going,
what
service
you
are
doing,
and
that
you
are
a
drug
and
alcohol-‐free
trip.

All
of
these
factors
will
contribute
to
the
success
rate
and
amounts
of
donations
you
receive.

Also
include
specific
amounts
that
you
want.
Studies
have
shown,
and
Alt
Breaks
anecdotes

have
confirmed,
that
asking
for
specific
amounts
nets
more
money.
Ask
for
a
minimum
of
$50.

Leaders
have
achieved
some
success
by
tying
this
to
daily
expenses
like
“a
$50
donation
pays

for
one
student’s
service
fees
during
the
week.”

The
fundraising
chairs
will
share
a
Google
doc
of
past
letters
as
samples
in
addition
to
the

sample
letter
included
in
this
manual.
During
the
2013-‐2014
year,
nearly
every
trip
used
the

template
provided
below
but
you
may
choose
to
make
your
own
formatted
letter.

Also,
make
sure
that
your
letters
are
targeted
to
their
audience.
If
they
are
to
individuals,
e.g.

friends
and
family,
then
they
should
have
different
content
and
different
foci
than
ones
to

organizations
or
corporations.
For
friends
and
family,
a
personal
aspect
would
be
more

important
such
as
how
their
donation
would
help
a
single
participant.

You
should
work
on
your
letters
with
co-‐leaders
over
the
summer.
Leaders
can
send
letters
to

their
friends
and
family
immediately
at
the
beginning
of
the
year
to
start
the
fundraising

process.
Participant
letters
should
be
sent
as
soon
as
you
have
participants.

Once
you
have
a
completed
letter
(please
quadruple
proofread
them,
you
don’t
want
to
send

out
errors
or
miss
key
details
like
how
to
donate
online
or
how
to
write
the
check):

1. Print
them
on
Alternative
Breaks
letterhead.
(Logos
in
header
and
address
in
footer)

2. Place
them
in
GW
CCEPS
envelopes
(found
in
Colonial
Crossroads)
and
seal
them.

3. You
will
bundle
them
in
groups
of
25
with
a
rubber
band
and
a
slip
found
in
Joan

Mitchell’s
office
that
labels
them
as
first
class
mail.

4. Bring
your
bundles
to
the
front
desk
of
Colonial
Crossroads
and
there
is
an
outgoing
mail

bin
that
you
place
them
in.

Voila!
Letters
sent.

800 21
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18
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Corporate
Sponsorships

A
relatively
new
form
of
fundraising
over
the
past
two
years
has
been
to
secure
corporate

sponsorships
or
funding.
These
sponsorships
are
rare
but
extremely
lucrative.
In
2012,
Winter

New
Orleans
received
a
$5,000
donation
from
the
BASF
Corporation.
In
2013,
Spring
New

Orleans
received
$5,000
from
Whiting-‐Turner
Construction
and
Winter
Los
Angeles
received
a

$15,000
donation.
These
donations
radically
alter
your
budget
and
fundraising
opportunities.

The
first
key
to
securing
these
sponsorships
is
to
write
a
strong
corporate
donation
letter.
Try
to

make
it
impact-‐focused.
Corporate
sponsors
will
not
donate
money
if
you
loosely
ask
for
money

or
you
ask
for
an
unclear
amount.
Provide
them
with
a
specific
figure
and
say
how
much
that

covers.
“With
your
generous
support,
a
donation
of
$3,000
would
cover
our
transportation
for

the
week.”
Also
try
to
make
it
clear
what
your
trip
aims
to
accomplish.
Corporations
are
more

likely
to
donate
if
they
understand
what
a
final
product/goal/outcome
will
look
like.

Second,
try
to
find
organizations
that
have
some
sort
of
connection
to
your
issue
area.
Trips

that
work
with
Habitat
for
Humanity
or
some
other
construction-‐based
volunteer
site
can
solicit

donations
from
local
construction
companies.
If
the
company
has
a
history
of
donating
to
your

issue
area,
they
will
be
more
likely
to
donate
to
your
trip.
Also
note
that
companies
that
work

closely
with
GW
will
also
be
more
likely
to
donate,
such
as
contractors
who
have
done
recent

GW
projects.

Don’t
discredit
organizations
outside
of
DC.
Companies
may
have
vested
interests
in
your

locations.
BASF
is
a
chemical
company
based
in
New
Jersey
that
has
projects
in
New
Orleans

and
they
donated
$5,000.
Contacting
these
organizations
can
also
lead
to
donations
for
your

trip
and
issue
area
and
are
worth
at
least
researching.

Other
avenues,
which
have
traditionally
provided
small
grant-‐like
awards,
are
local
chapters
of

American
Legions,
Freemasons,
and
other
organizations
that
have
a
philanthropic
branch.
Many

smaller
organizations
like
this
operate
scholarship
programs
for
college
students
and
may
be

worthwhile
in
contacting
regarding
your
trips.

This
should
not
be
your
only
method
for
fundraising
and
you
should
not
expect
to
make
any

money
from
this
method,
but
it
is
worth
investing
effort
into
because
of
the
reward
in
getting
a

sponsorship.
If
your
fundraising
letter
or
the
basics
of
your
selling
points
are
prepared
over
the

summer,
your
leadership
team
can
assemble
a
plan
of
corporate
sponsors
to
reach
out
to.
This

may
require
some
research,
but
is
a
potentially
more
lucrative
option
than
grants.

800 21
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19
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Booking
Space

For
Marvin
or
large
venues
(ie:
Alumni
house):
Ask
one
of
the
Executive
Board
members
with

booking
capabilities
(Leadership
Development
Chairs
or
Co-‐Chairs),
they
are
our
registered

schedulers.

You
cannot
reserve
these
rooms
on
your
own.
Please
keep
in
mind
that
not
all
of

these
spaces
are
free,
some
rooms
(especially
in
the
academic
buildings)
cost
money
depending

on
what
kind
of
set
up
you
want
and
also
if
you
need
the
use
of
technology
or
not.

Spaces
like
Kogan
Plaza,
Mid
Campus
Quad,
Anniversary
Park,
the
space
formerly
known
as

Veterans
Park
(next
to
GW
Deli)
are
available
for
creative,
outdoor
fundraisers.
In
addition,

these
spaces
can
be
used
for
promotional
events
in
anticipation
of
the
recruitment
and

selection
period.

Raffles

RAFFLES
ARE
ILLEGAL
IN
DC.
Do
not
host
an
event
and
call
it
a
raffle.
If
you
have
an
idea
that

seems
like
a
raffle,
please
contact
the
Fundraising
Co-‐Chairs
to
work
out
a
suitable
way
to

market
the
event.

Bake
Sales

The
most
common
locations
to
host
bake
sales
are
in
Ivory
Tower
and
Thurston
Hall.
To
reserve

these
spaces,
use
this
link
(http://living.gwu.edu/common-‐space-‐reservations).
Keep
in
mind

that
bake
sales
occur
in
two
different
locations
in
Ivory
Tower:
the
front
entrance
by
the

security
desk
and
the
top
of
the
stairs
by
Potbelly’s.
Only
the
front
entrance
space
needs
to
be

reserved
while
the
stair
space
is
first
come,
first
served.

You
can
expect
about
$125-‐175
per
bake
sale,
although
those
figures
can
go
up
significantly
if

you
have
a
Square.
Squares
are
free
to
order
from
www.squareup.com
and
they
only
charge

2.75%
per
transaction.
This
gives
you
the
versatility
to
accept
Credit
and
Debit
cards,
ruining
the

common
“sorry,
I
don’t
have
cash”
argument.
This
is
one
of
the
most
important
items
you
can

receive
as
a
leader.
They
were
in
extremely
high
demand
during
2013-‐2014
and
are
nearly

required
items
at
this
point.

800 21
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2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Common
Profit
Shares

• Roti:
Register
in
person,
get
20%
of
sales
between
6pm
and
8pm
(Profits
$75-‐$125)

• Potbelly’s:
Register
in
person,
need
200
attendees
to
received
any
money,
also
must
hand

out
fliers
at
the
door,
receive
25%
of
sales.
(Profits:
$250-‐$300)

• Sweetgreen:
must
hand
out
fliers
at
the
door
(Profits:
$75-‐$125)

• Campus
Fresh:
register
online
(http://gwfresh.com/Fundraising.html)
and
get
15%
of
sales.

Must
hand
out
fliers
or
have
participants
state
that
they
are
there
for
your
event.
(Profits:

$50-‐$100)

• Boloco:
Email
them
to
set
up
events
(Profits:
$75-‐$125)

• Food
Trucks:
This
varies
based
on
the
truck,
so
it’s
best
just
to
go
up
and
ask
them!

• Chipotle:
This
has
proven
to
be
one
of
the
most
lucrative
profit
shares.
(Profits:
M
St

Location
$200;
On
campus
location
$1800-‐$2000)

• Don’t
feel
limited
to
these
organizations;
these
are
just
the
most
common.

Grants

Much
like
corporate
sponsorships,
grants
require
research
and
focus
into
your
issue
area
and

region.
The
profit
varies
widely
from
a
few
hundred
to
a
few
thousand.
These
are
much
harder

to
get
and
require
preparing
a
set
of
application
materials
for.
Do
not
expect
to
receive
money

from
grants
and
fundraise
as
you
normally
would.
Also,
be
sure
to
communicate
with
the

Fundraising
and
Development
Co-‐Chairs
to
prevent
multiple
trips
from
applying
to
the
same

grants
and
also
for
assistance
in
writing
grant
applications.

Program-‐wide
Events

Program-‐wide
fundraisers
have
two
main
goals:
To
raise
money
for
Alternative
Breaks
to

continue
doing
what
it
does,
and
to

spread
awareness
around
campus
of
the

program.
With
these
two
goals
in
mind,

we
need
all
leaders
and
Executive
Board

members
to
help
make
these
events
as

successful
as
possible.
This
includes

helping
in
various
tasks
and
ensuring
that

as
many
of
your
participants
(and
their

friends)
attend
as
possible.

These
events
are
meant
to
raise
funds
for

the
Executive
Board
functions,
which

allow
us
to
put
on
more
program-‐wide

fundraisers,
large
events
like
Alternative
Breaks
Ball
and
the
End
of
Year
Celebration.
It
also

allows
us
to
provide
incentive
grants
and
operate
programs
like
All
Leader
Training.
These

programs
can
only
occur
and
succeed
with
complete
assistance
by
everyone
in
our
program.

800 21
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21
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Fundraising
Calendar

The
fundraising
co-‐chairs
operate
a
fundraising
calendar
that
lists
all
fundraiser
times
and

locations.
All
leaders
should
both
check
and
update
this
document
frequently.
First,
it
allows

leaders
to
avoid
fundraising
in
the
same
place
at
the
same
time
or
burning
out
profit
share

avenues.
Second,
it
allows
the
Public
Relations
chairs
to
monitor
fundraisers
so
that
the

program
as
a
whole
can
promote
your
event.

We
also
encourage
collaboration
between
all
leaders
in
our
program,
including
fundraising.
If

other
trips
are
holding
a
fundraiser,
we
encourage
all
leaders
to
attend
and
to
promote
it
to

their
participants.
If
every
trip
worked
together,
fundraising
would
be
much
more
successful.

Active
collaboration
and
frequent
communication
are
integral
to
the
success
of
your
fundraising

efforts.
We
hope
that
all
2014-‐2015
trip
leaders
will
utilize
resources
like
the
fundraising

calendar
to
their
fullest
extent.

The
Executive
Board
is
working
on
a
Fundraising
Bank
for
all
leaders
to
utilize
in
the
near
future.

It
will
include
possible
fundraisers
and
creative
fundraisers
that
leaders
have
done
in
the
past.

Look
out
for
updates
regarding
this
material.

800 21
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22
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Sample
Fundraising
Plan

AWB
XYZ

Fundraising
Plan

Comments

Total
Goal
(Rounded
up)
$14,100

Less
Trip
Fees

$8,400

Net
Goal
$5,700

September

Bake
Sale
$100

Profit
Share
$150

sug:
Roti

Proposed
Fundraising/Month
$250

October

Bake
Sale
(Weekend)
$600

Halloweekend

Letter
Writing/Email
Campaign
$1,400

Metro
Madness
$250

Profit
Share
$150

sug:
Food
Truck

T-‐shirt
Fundraiser
$300

Not
too
specific
to

encourage
Greek
life

participation
etc.

Proposed
Fundraising/Month
$2,700

November

Bake
Sale
$200

Stationary
Drive
$350

Pens/Pencils
for

underprivileged
youth

Charity
Ball
$600

Profit
Share
$150

Sug:
Frozen
yo

Proposed
Fundraising/Month
$1,300

December

Bake
Sale
$100

SA
Allocation
$1,240

Profit
Share
$150

sug:
Sprinkles

Proposed
Fundraising/Month
$1,490

Total
Fundraised
$5,740

Net
($40)

Notes:

Possible
sponsors:
Sprinkles

800 21
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23
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Sample
Fundraising
Letter

Dear
(Insert
name),

This
March,
I
am
participating
in
The
George
Washington
University’s
Alternative
Spring
Break
trip
to

Appalachia.
I
will
travel
with
my
fellow
students
to
Harlan,
Kentucky,
where
we
will
work
with
COAP,
a

nonprofit
organization
dedicated
to
providing
home
construction
and
rehabilitation
services
to
low-‐income

families
in
Harlan
County.
My
volunteer
efforts
will
directly
benefit
the
families
of
Harlan
and
will
help
me

grow
as
an
individual.
I
hope
that
you
will
also
be
involved
in
my
experience;
accordingly
I
am
asking
for
a

contribution
of
$20
to
help
my
team
and
I
fundraise
to
support
the
costs
of
our
week-‐long
endeavor.

The
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Program
was
created
in
2006
with
the
mission
of
empowering
students,
staff
and

faculty
to
understand
their
role
in
local
and
global
communities
through
service-‐learning
in
a
drug-‐
and

alcohol-‐free
environment.
The
GW
Alternative
Break
program
is
entirely
student
run;
every
trip
is
planned,

led,
and
fundraised
for
by
students.
Since
its
inception,
the
program
has
expanded
to
reach
over
17
different

communities
both
at
home
and
abroad.
This
year,
more
than
300
students
will
participate
in
an
Alternative

Break,
continuing
GW’s
legacy
of
volunteerism.

To
date,
our
outstanding
fundraising
balance
remains
at
$4,500.
With
your
help,
we
can
reach
that
goal.

From
all
funds
raised
through
this
letter,
the
George
Washington
University
has
pledged
to
match
funds
up

to
$600
until
the
end
of
2013.
For
one
participant,
a
minimum
donation
of
$20
today
would
cover
on-‐the-‐
ground
transportation,
$35
would
provide
food
and
lodging
for
one
day,
and
$50
would
pay
for
two

cultural
excursions.
In
order
to
help
us
reach
our
goal,
please
consider
donating.

If
you
are
able
to
support
our
trip,
please
make
a
check
payable
to
The
George
Washington
University
(“ASB

Appalachia”
in
the
memo
line),
and
send
it
to
the
address
below:

The
Center
for
Civic
Engagement
and
Public
Service

The
George
Washington
University

Attn:
Joan
Mitchell

800
21st
St.
NW

Marvin
Center,
Suite
505

Washington,
DC
20052

If
you
would
like
to
donate
online,
please
go
to
the
following
website:

https://my.gwu.edu/mod/onlinegiving/.
Under
“Purpose
of
Gift,”
select
“Other”
and
type
“GW
Alternative

Breaks:
Appalachia.”
All
donations
are
tax
deductible,
and
you
will
receive
a
letter
to
confirm
this
from
the

GW
Office
of
Development.
Please
visit
our
website
at
http://gwalternativebreaks.wordpress.com/
to
learn

more
about
our
trip.
If
you
have
any
further
question,
please
feel
free
to
e-‐mail
us
at

gwasbappalachia@gmail.com.
On
behalf
of
the
Alternative
Breaks
Program,
our
participants,
and
COAP,

thank
you
for
your
time
and
consideration.
Your
support
will
make
a
life-‐changing
week
possible
for
our

group
of
students,
and
we
thank
you!

*Note*
All
underlined
sections
are
subject
to
change
per
trip.

800 21
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24
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Participant
Recruitment
and
Selection

Recruitment

Alternative
Breaks
seeks
to
create
a
diverse
and
inclusive
program
that
is
open
and
welcoming

to
all
students.
Each
year,
we
set
out
with
the
goal
of
recruiting
as
many
students
from
all

backgrounds
as
possible.
Graduate
and
undergraduate
students
are
welcome
to
apply
and
we

take
students
from
all
majors,
backgrounds,
and
student
organizations.
Being
involved
in

service
in
the
past
is
not
a
prerequisite
for
joining
an
Alternative
Break.

We
work
to
achieve
this
diversity
by
reaching
out
to
student
organizations
that
my
have
an

underrepresented
population
in
Alt
Breaks.
In
the
past,
we
have
struggled
to
attract
students

from
the
Business
and
Engineering
schools,
men,
and
multicultural
students.

While
the
Executive
Board
plays
an
instrumental
role
in
recruiting
applicants,
trip
leaders

should
also
work
to
recruit
possible
participants
both
for
your
own
trip
and
the
program
as
a

whole.

Possible
outreach
methods
include
contacting
student
organizations
and
student
bodies,

utilizing
social
media,
and
door-‐to-‐door
advertising
for
Alternative
Breaks.

Selection

Participant
selection
occurs
in
September
this
year.
All
applicants
will
preference
three
trips

and
write
essays.
These
essays
will
be
given
to
trips
name-‐blind
with
only
pertinent

demographic
information
included
for
the
purpose
of
trip
diversity.

The
Executive
Board
will
provide
trip
leaders
with
a
sample
rubric
of
how
to
score
each
essay

for
applicants,
but
the
ultimate
decision
on
what
makes
a
strong
candidate
falls
to
individual

leaders.
You
do
not
need
to
select
participants
solely
based
on
their
essay
scores,
though
these

scores
should
be
good
indicators
of
quality
applicants.

Trip
leaders
will
first
read
applications
that
listed
their
trip
first.
Read
through
all
of
these

applications
and
score
them.
Decide
as
a
leadership
team
which
candidates
you
will
be

accepting.
Once
you
have
exhausted
the
list
of
first-‐choice
candidates,
you
will
go
to
a
list
of

second-‐choice
applicants
and
then
third-‐choice.
If
you
choose
to
accept
any
students
from

these
lists,
you
must
contact
the
trips
that
were
preferenced
ahead
of
yours
to
ensure
that

these
applicants
were
not
already
accepted.

Once
all
applicants
have
been
accepted
for
a
trip,
the
Executive
Co-‐Chairs
will
send
trip
leaders

the
roster
of
participants
that
they
had
selected.

800 21
s t

25
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Learning
Partners

Basics

Throughout
the
Alternative
Breaks
experience,
Learning
Partners
play
an
integral
role
to
the

success
of
each
trip
and
the
overall
program.
Learning
Partners
are
faculty
or
staff
of
the

university
who
will
work
and
serve
alongside
our
trip
leaders
and
participants.
They
play
a

unique
role
on
the
trip
as
they
straddle
the
line
between
participant
and
leader.

Learning
Partners
play
a
dynamic
and
ever-‐changing
position
on
an
alternative
break
trip
that

largely
varies
based
on
the
student
leaders
of
a
trip.
There
are,
however,
a
few
required
roles

that
Learning
Partners
must
fulfill.

The
most
basic
role
of
a
Learning
Partner
is
defined
by
the
following
responsibilities:

• Liaisons
for
the
university.
Should
something
go
wrong
on
the
trip,
LP’s
are
tasked
with

keeping
the
entire
group’s
safety
in
mind
and
acting
in
the
best
interest
of
the

university.

• LP’s
are
meant
to
serve
as
a
helping
hand
to
the
leaders
as
needed
when
it
comes
to

logistics,
pre-‐trip
education,
fundraising,
volunteer
management,
etc.

• Learning
Partners
are
meant
to
contribute
to
the
learning,
leadership,
and
service

development
of
both
leaders
and
participants
on
an
Alternative
Break.

Regardless
of
the
predetermined
boundaries
and
expectations
of
leadership
teams,
these
are

Alternative
Breaks’
expectations
of
what
every
Learning
Partner
will
accomplish
as
a
part
of
our

program.

800 21
s t

26
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Learning
Partner
Selection

Learning
Partner
selection
begins
at
the
end
of
September
and
continues
through
October.

Depending
on
how
many
Learning
Partners
a
trip
needs
and
the
demand
for
that
trip,
this

process
may
be
rather
time
consuming.
Some
of
the
larger
trips
have
interviewed
up
to
8

candidates
for
their
positions.

Trip
leaders
may
select
part-‐time
staff
members
(who
can
be
graduate
students)
as
learning

partners
as
long
as
the
trip
has
at
least
one
full-‐time
university
employee.
E.g.
Appalachia
with

only
one
learning
partner
can
only
select
a
full-‐time
staff
member,
while
Guatemala,
with
two

Learning
Partners,
may
select
one
full-‐time
and
one
part-‐time
staff
member.
Presidential

Administrative
Fellows
at
GW
can
be
Learning
Partners,
as
long
as
they
are
also
paired
with
a

full-‐time
staff
member.

First,
Learning
Partners
must
submit
an
application
to
the
Alternative
Breaks
program.
If
you

have
an
ideal
LP
candidate
in
mind,
you
should
encourage
them
to
apply.
The
Executive
Board

will
decide
how
leader
recommendations
will
factor
into
the
recruitment
and
selection
process.

Once
the
application
period
concludes,
the
Executive
Board
will
notify
you
which
staff
and

faculty
members
have
expressed
interest
in
your
trip
and
you
will
be
responsible
for
scheduling

time
to
interview
them.

Below
are
some
potential
interview
questions
for
Learning
Partner
interviews:

• Why
are
you
interested
in
being
an
LP
for
this
trip?

• How
do
you
think
a
learning
partner
should
operate
in
context
of
a
GW
Alternative

Breaks
trip?

• How
will
you
balance
being
both
a
participant
and
a
Learning
Partner?

• How
will
you
maintain
student
ownership
over
this
trip?

• What
is
your
background
in
community
service?

• What
is
your
past
experience
with
the
issue
area
of
our
trip?

• How
do
you
envision
yourself
fitting
into
a
group
that
has
already
begun
to
form?

• What
skills
do
you
have
that
will
improve
this
trip?

• How
do
you
think
the
leader-‐learning
partner
dynamic
should
function?
How
do
you

envision
your
role
differing
from
the
leader’s
role?

• For
trips
needing
drivers:
Would
you
be
willing
to
drive
on
the
trip?

• For
international
trips:
Do
you
have
any
experience
with
international
travel?

This
is
not
an
exhaustive
list
and
we
encourage
all
of
our
leadership
teams
to
plan
a
series
of

questions
ahead
of
time
with
all
the
co-‐leaders.
This
is
your
one
and
only
opportunity
to
vet
the

best
possible
candidates.
We
hope
that
all
of
our
leaders
take
advantage
and
seek
Learning

Partners
that
are
not
only
the
most
qualified,
but
make
the
best
fit
amongst
the
leadership

team.

800 21
s t

27
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

After
all
interviews
are
completed,
you
will
submit
your
Learning
Partner
preferences
to
the

Executive
Board
and
they
will
work
with
CCEPS
staff
to
match
top
rated
LP’s
with
the
trips
they

are
most
interested
in.
The
Executive
Board
will
notify
trip
leaders
of
Learning
Partner

placements
as
soon
as
these
are
finalized.

It
is
important
to
consider
all
of
the
information
above
when
deciding
on
your
Learning
Partner

preferences.
Just
as
every
leader
has
a
different
vision
for
the
trip,
so
does
every
Learning

Partner
and
it
is
important
to
find
out
more
about
their
expectations
before
you
select
them.

Joining
the
Leadership
Team

It
is
imperative
to
have
an
open
conversation
with
Learning
Partners
regarding
both
parties’

expectations
for
the
leadership
team.
Ideally,
this
should
occur
immediately
after
selecting

Learning
Partners
and
could
occur
over
lunch
or
a
meeting.
The
level
of
formality
and
the

structure
of
this
discussion
is
left
up
to
the
leadership
team
to
decide.
The
purpose
of
this

discussion
is
to
establish
boundaries
and
roles
before,
during,
and
after
the
trip
for
the
Learning

Partners.

In
some
cases,
Learning
Partners
serve
in
roles
similar
to
a
participant,
merely
serving
alongside

students
and
stepping
up
in
case
of
an
emergency.
In
other
cases,
Learning
Partners
may
be

required
to
step
in
as
a
leader
and
help
lead
the
group
alongside
the
student
leaders.
In
the

past,
some
LP’s
have
been
asked
to
help
plan
fundraisers
and
assist
with
logistics
based
on
their

past
service
or
Alternative
Breaks
experience.
In
other
cases,
Learning
Partners
have
played
an

integral
part
in
pre-‐trip
education
because
of
their
academic
background
and
research

expertise.

On-‐site,
the
role
of
Learning
Partner
can
expand
as
they
may
play
roles
in
logistics,
education,

travel,
reflection,
decision-‐making,
and
emergency
responsiveness.
Having
a
strong
LP(s)
is

often
one
of
the
definitive
factors
in
making
an
Alternative
Breaks
trip
a
success.

This
dynamic,
and
the
relationship
between
leaders
and
Learning
Partners,
depends
on
trip

size,
other
Learning
Partners,
personalities
of
the
leadership
team,
experience,
etc.
We

recommend
developing
an
informal
leadership
agreement
(similar
to
a
roommate
agreement),

which
outlines
who
is
responsible
in
different
scenarios
while
on
your
trip.

Ideally,
these
discussions
will
not
end
before
the
trip,
but
will
be
fluid
and
continuous
while
on

the
trip
as
well.
We
expect
our
leaders
to
be
extremely
flexible,
and
the
Learning
Partners
are

held
to
the
same
standard.
Situations
constantly
change
in
Alternative
Breaks
and
we
want
our

leadership
teams
to
be
constantly
prepared
to
respond
to
whatever
situation
may
arise.

Do
not
discredit
how
powerful
of
a
resource
a
great
Learning
Partner
can
be.
They
often
have
a

wealth
of
professional
experience
with
student
outreach
and
can
be
invaluable
for
your
trip.

800 21
s t

28
2014-‐2015
GW
Alternative
Breaks
Handbook

Pre-‐Trip
Education

Purpose

An
integral
part
of
our
program,
pre-‐trip
education
plays
a
vital
role
in
the
Learning
of
Serve.

Learn.
Discover.
Participants
in
our
program
need
to
be
informed
of
the
issue
area,
locations,

and,
if
necessary,
language
of
our
destinations.

We
aim
to
ensure
that
participants
are
informed
of
the
issue
area
before
arriving
on
site
so
that

they
can
fully
integrate
on
the
trip
and
understand
more
of
what
they
are
experiencing.
A

participant
well
versed
in
the
cultural
challenges
of
the
Cherokee
Nation
is
more
likely
to
notice

and
engage
with
the
cultural
nuances
of
the
region.
A
participant
in
New
Orleans
would
not

understand
what
the
school
system
post-‐Katrina
represents
to
the
city
without
understanding

the
challenges
before
and
after
the
storm.

Pre-‐trip
education
has,
unfortunately,
been
one
of
the
weakest
aspects
of
Alternative
Breaks

and
received
the
harshest
feedback
on
the
2014
trip
surveys.
Participants
said
they
didn’t
feel

prepared
or
aware
of
the
realities
of
their
issue
areas
and
locations.
This
coming
year,
we
aim

to
do
a
significantly
better
job
on
pre-‐trip
education
and
that
starts
with
planning.
Here
are
a

few
guidelines
and
hints
to
planning
effective
pre-‐trip
education
lessons
that
will
prove
useful

for
your
leadership
team.

We
encourage
trip
leaders
to
be
as
creative
as
possible
when
planning
how
to
educate

participants.
Find
ways
to
keep
participants
engaged
and
motivated
throughout
the
semester

and
year
as
you
build
up
to
your
trip.
Pre-‐trip
education
is
the
perfect
way
to
build
up
an

Alternative
Break.

Alternative Breaks Handbook 2014-2015 Final

Alternative Breaks Handbook 2014-2015 Final

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