Who We Are
WUD Alternative Breaks is a fully student-run organization which strives to create a generation of students who are better informed about the social and environmental issues of the world, and give them the tools to help them strive to be an active citizen in their daily lives.
What We Do
Create. Our committee members work to create impactful service learning programs based around social and environmental issues that we face today by partnering with non-profit organizations. Our goal is to bring a larger understanding of social issues to our students and campus community, to raise awareness and foster open-mindedness.
Educate. We strive to gain understanding and knowledge around the issues that each trip focuses on to better educated ourselves and others on topics that are often not fully known or understood.
Motivate. We encourage all people to engage themselves in their communities and become active citizens. An active citizen does not need to have a all-inclusive understanding of every issue, they just need the motivation to help their community and the knowledge how to help without harming.
Our Motto
Go. Alternative Breaks travels to economically, culturally, and environmentally diverse locations all across the United States.
Serve. We expose students to communities and immersion experiences which cannot be replicated on the UW–Madison campus. These lessons and perspectives can then be brought home to your own communities, growing local service and building cooperative, empathetic students.
Learn. Alternative Breaks provides service-learning opportunities working with important issues such as the environment, education, immigration, poverty, hunger and more. We believe learning empathy and service-learning can only be accomplished through experience.
Students embark on life-changing experiences of teamwork, high-impact education, and powerful volunteerism, which serves as a vice to instill and inspire individuals to participate in service and build stronger communities in their own hometowns.
For Students, By Students
WUD Alternative Breaks committee is a fully student-run organization. Our committee members design several service-learning trips during winter and spring breaks by working with nonprofit groups. Students have the opportunity to choose which issues they want to focus on and how they want the conversation around the issue to play out. Each trip is led by two student leaders that assist each other in guiding education and reflection while on the trip.
Part Of Something Bigger
Alternative Breaks is one of the eleven committees of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD). WUD is one of the largest student-run organizations on campus. See the complete list of WUD committees.
Get Involved
The Alternative Breaks committee meets weekly during the academic year. If you are passionate about a social issue(s) and would like to create a service trip or educational event to help address and educate other Badgers on that issue, Alternative Breaks is the way to go! You will learn about project management, gain leadership skills, and make an impact in someone’s life! All are welcome anytime throughout the semester.