Florida Alternative Breaks

Florida Alternative Breaks
2009-2010 Spring Break Application

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Vision Statement

Florida Alternative Breaks' vision is to create active citizens through a year-long commitment to community service, leadership and social change.

Mission Statement

In participating in social change education and projects both locally during the year and regionally during academic breaks, students gain the opportunity to immerse themselves in a particular social issue. Through FAB's unique conditions of volunteerism and reflection, we seek to heighten social awareness, advocate for and foster life-long social action while building friendships along the way.

The Role of a Participant

"The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." - Charles DuBois

Florida Alternative Breaks (FAB) offers the opportunity to do service in a city outside of the Gainesville area while learning in-depth about a particular issue and creating lasting friendships with your fellow trip members. Although participation in a FAB trip is very rewarding, it also requires commitment and dedication from those involved. Participants are required to attend regular trip meetings where they will get to know their fellow trip members, become educated about their issue, and help plan their trip. Participants will also be required to participate in one pre-trip service project where they will get a taste of what their service will be like during the break. After returning, they will also participate in one post-trip service project. Two student Site Leaders will serve as their trip's guides throughout the FAB year and lead all of these events. FAB also encourages participants to attend our socials to meet other participants and to assist with our fundraisers to help lower the costs of the trips. Participants will be matched with an issue based on their ranking of issues and their answers to the essay questions. Although we attempt to match all students with one of their top issues, this is not always possible, so please be flexible!

All participants must be a University of Florida student, staff, or faculty member. Students must have at least a 2.0 GPA and be enrolled as a full-time student for the fall semester. Grade checks are completed at the time of the application. Students who fail to maintain the minimum GPA will not be allowed to participate in FAB.

Spring Issue Descriptions

*FAB will not disclose the location of trips to participants until the first meeting. This ensures that participants choose trips based on the issue they are passionate about instead of where they are going.

 

Native American Immersion

Native Americans have a rich and diverse culture whose roots date back hundreds of years. They have encountered numerous struggles like losing their land and living in poverty. Native Americans are in dire need of a strong and powerful voice to represent themselves in this large nation. They need some influential groups like FAB to assist them with their strategies to tackle their problems and sustain their traditions. Service may include assisting a Native American tribe with various tasks and helping them set-up for an annual tribal pow-wow.


Disaster Recovery

Even a few years after Hurricane Katrina hit, the local community is still rebuilding and repairing the damaged that was cost in just a few days. Many families are still displaced and areas deserted. The local government is still preparing to prevent a similar catastrophe from occurring. Participants will experience firsthand and learn about how cities recuperate after a major disaster. Service may involve physical labor.


Children's Disabilities

Millions of children throughout the United States struggle with disabling ailments ranging from learning disabilities to autism. Treatments for these ailments are costly, painful and sometimes in effective. Recent research as shown that therapeutic treatments with animals has enriched the lives of physically, emotionally, and mentally challenged children. Service may include working with an organization focused on equine therapy and various other therapy techniques.


Financial Education

Financial literacy is a large problem facing our nation. More and more teenagers have and are using credit cards, while over 1 million American families filed for bankruptcy last year. The country presents a clear disconnect between the understanding of finances and their handling. This trip may include educating communities and/or students about things important to their finances such as managing debit, reading a bank statement, and understanding interest rates.


Youth Empowerment through Sports (YETS)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 9 million children 6-19 years old are overweight. This issue will focus on how sports enrich the lives of youth and how sports empower youths to excel academically, athletically and life in general. Many programs today are focused on getting children active and mentoring youths on the importance of fitness and teamwork. Service may include assisting an organization by creating and coordinating programs for kids.


Mental Health

Mental Health is a small niche of the healthcare system that is often overlooked and lacking adequate funding. Often times, mental health individuals fall through the cracks of society and are negatively stereotyped and their rights ignored. This issue focuses on mental health awareness and assisting individuals afflicted with mental disorders and disabilities. Service may include volunteering with a non-profit agency that focuses on helping mental health individuals return to their communities healthy and functional.


Educational Inequality

Many cities throughout the United States see an inequality gap that exists in our education systems. These cities will have schools with only a couple miles between them yet differ immensely in resources and educational opportunities they provide to their students. Service may include volunteering at schools from differing spectrums of that inequality gap and working with organizations focused on finding resources and equal education opportunities for our nation’s schools.


Environmental Issues

The environmental movement began in the United States around 1960, focusing on tackling issues like pollution, resource depletion and climate change. Environmentalism or “going green” as its termed today, focuses on environmental conservation and improvement of the state of the environment. This issue centers on becoming socially aware of the environment and what we as active citizens can do to protect it. Service may include volunteering with a non-profit in combination with a state park, doing outdoor tasks and having environmental educational opportunities.


Immigration Law

Many foreigners are displaced from their home nations due to ethnic violence, famine, or other dangerous situations. These people have to pick up everything and come to the United States, seeking refuge. Others are after a better life for themselves and their family. The immigration process in the United States is a difficult and lengthy process. Service and education may include learning how the immigration system works in the US as well as the challenges immigrants face in becoming American citizens.


Veterans & their Families

Veterans have been a cornerstone in keeping the United States protected in times of war. After returning home, they and their families encounter numerous obstacles such as posttraumatic stress and alcoholism. Many individuals don’t understand nor comprehend what veterans and their families struggle with on a day-to-day basis. Many veterans are homeless, struggle with substance abuse and suffer from mental disorders. If we don’t take of our veterans for protecting us, who should? Service may include volunteering with a non-profit that provides various services to veterans and their families, volunteering at a Veteran’s Hospital.


Marine Life Protection

Due to many factors such as global warming, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and habitat destruction, many marine ecosystems are being destroyed or significantly hurt. Efforts are being directed to save these ecosystems, many which are rich in life, through education and close monitoring. Service may include removing invasive species, tracking changes in the environment, and working to preserve native endangered species.


HIV/AIDS

This disease is an international epidemic that also affects more than a million in the US. Although significant progress has been made to increase the lifespan of those living with HIV, there is a lack of knowledge relevant to prevention and transmission. It is estimated that 1 and 5 Americans with HIV do not even know they have it. Service for this issue may include: educating the community about HIV/Aids, visiting testing facilities, advocating for community members to get tested, and distributing prevention material.


Poverty and Development (International)

The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for only 5 percent of the global income. For more than two decades, governments and development agencies around the world have focused on reducing poverty. However, although tremendous strides have been made, approximately one in four people in developing countries continues to live below the World Bank’s international poverty line. Informed public investment is key to reducing poverty and addressing inequalities within society. This issue gives participants the opportunity to see poverty from an international perspective and see how culture and political issues affect the development of a nation. Service may include volunteering on various projects in a Mayan community.


Coffee and Sustainability (International)

As world population grows and resources dwindle, sustainability has quickly become a hot topic of debate in political, corporate, and social realms. As different countries, cities, and communities search for ways to make their society more sustainable, many tactics are devised and implemented. In the case of some, coffee production provides the means by which their community can contribute to the green effort and the ultimate goal of a sustainable society. Trip service may include farm labor, learning about local agricultural practices, and working on production projects.


Community Health (International)

With access to healthcare inconsistent around the world, many people die from basic ailments that are deemed “preventable.” With simple essential medicines and a quick visit to a medical professional many of these complications could be avoided. There is a new movement in the public health world to stop a lot of these illnesses, relying on educational outreach at the local level. Participants on this trip will work with an international non-governmental organization (NGO), learning about community health. Service may include preventative medicine education, community outreach and experience with basic public health initiatives.


Trip Costs

The cost of trips is all-inclusive, going toward all food, transportation and housing for the week. This cost is not dependent on the issue. However, the cost of trips is still to be determined, but will fall between $225-$275 for domestic and $1,000-$1,500 for international. The international trips will cost more than domestic trips due to flight costs, additional driving and housing costs.
This year, FAB is kicking off an ambitious fundraising initiative to lower the cost of trips for all participants. All participants will be expected to participate in the letter-writing campaign and encouraged to attend general fundraisers as well.


Payment Information

Site Leaders and Participants will be responsible for submitting their payments by the stated deadline. A non-refundable $100 deposit for domestic trips will be due November 4th to the CLS at Peabody Hall. A non-refundable amount of $500 for international trips will be due November 11th to the CLS at Peabody Hall to cover the costs of airplane tickets. The remaining balance for both domestic and international trips is due February 8th. Please make checks payable to the University of Florida. Failure to make payment by the stated deadline may result in dismissal from the program. If you would like to set up a payment plan, you must submit a request to FAB’s Graduate Advisor, Nikole Duvalle, nikoled@leadershipandservice.ufl.edu or 352-392-1261 ext. 229, no later than 7 days prior to the stated deadline. All requests for extensions must be submitted in writing and include your name, FAB trip, the reason(s) you believe you need an extension, and the date that you expect to be able to make your payment. There is no guarantee that your request for an extension will be granted.
No refunds will be made, except for emergency situations such as serious illness or death in the family. All requests for refunds must be submitted to and approved by the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the CLS within 48 hours of your decision to leave FAB. All requests for refunds must be submitted in writing and include your name, FAB trip, and the reason(s) you believe you need a refund. There will be no refunds for any student dismissed from the program for reasons of misconduct or for failure to comply with University of Florida and/or FAB policies, procedures, and regulations.


Scholarship Information

FAB may award a limited number of partial scholarships to students who demonstrate financial need. Scholarship priorities are given to domestic trips. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please contact FAB’s Treasurer, Rebeca Rodriguez-Crespo, at rrcrespo@ufl.edu or at 321-202-3976. Scholarship applications are due October 21st.

 

Summary of Important Dates (*attendance REQUIRED at all bolded events)

 

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

UF strives to provide effective, reasonable accommodations for students. Please contact Nikole Duvalle (nikoled@dso.ufl.edu) to discuss any needed accommodations.