Concordia University
IN-4: Innovation 4

The Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program is an exciting opportunity for students to participate in a week-long, hands-on, service-learning experience. Students might choose to join a team that is teaching English at the Hope of a Child Orphanage in the Dominican Republic, assisting with sustainable community development projects in Peru, or helping to support programs in our own community of Montreal, Quebec (some examples of past ASBs) ASB is designed to allow students the chance to do something different during Concordia's Reading Week in February. Through partnerships with a variety of community organizations, both locally and across the globe, students get the chance to learn about different cultures, communities, and social issues by working with a variety of service organizations. Students also have a unique opportunity to learn from their teammates - on the service sites, in facilitated reflection, and in the pre-departure workshops leading up to ABS. The objective is for students to return from the experience with a greater understanding of the challenges facing the community, as well as the community's capacity to enact sustainable change. Also, the hope is that students return to Concordia with an increased sense of civic engagement, and an idea of how the ASB experience connects to their current academic studies and future career.