Spring 2016 Middlebury Alternative Break Participant Application
Application due date: Sunday, February 21st, 2016.
Submit applications to MAlt via email to .
What is MAlt?
MAltis Middlebury’s alternative break program. Each year, students design andlead trips during the February, fall andspring breaks.MAlt aims to engage Middlebury students with communities acrossthe globe in order to share an experience, provide service where service is needed, and learn about the systems that shape and connect diverse community realities.
Trip Participant Fee: $30
With additional support from the MAlt budget, the $30 fee covers all trip expenses including transportation, lodging, food, and activity expenses associated with this trip.
MAlt is offering two spring break trips in March 2016!
Community and Women’s Development Mini-MAlt Trip Description
Destination: Burlington, VT
Dates: March 26 – 28, 2016
Learn about the lives, strengths, and challenges of women in Vermont. Working with – and learning from – local nonprofits, participants will explore connections between gender, privilege and poverty, and social justiceQuestions? Contact .
Language in Motion Mini-MAlt Trip Description
Destination: Lake Region Union High School (Orleans, VT)
Dates: March 29-March 31, 2016
Language in Motion (LiM) is an educational collaboration that connects Middlebury’s international, study abroad, and upper level language students with Vermont high school and middle school teachers, students, and classrooms. With support and training, Middlebury College students prepare and deliver lessons that promote global awareness, cultural competence, and world language acquisition. Presentations aredesigned to supportthe host teacher’s learning objectives and to “meet secondary students where they are.”
This collaborative trip is a MAlt trip with a LiM theme. Trip participants will travel to the Northeast Kingdom town of Orleans, Vermont. Students will present, LiM-style, in the public high school and interact with the community through community service and engagement with local service workers.
Questions? Contact: Contact Anna Parker () or Kristen Mullins ()
Spring 2016 Middlebury Alternative Break Participant Application
NameCell
MAlt is offering two spring break trips in March 2016! Please rank the trips you are interested in: “1” for your first choice, “2” for your second choice. If you are only interested in one trip simply write “1” next to that trip.
Women’s Empowerment Trip, Burlington, VT, March 26 – 28, 2016
Language in Motion Trip, Lake Region Union High School (Orleans, VT), March 29- 31, 2016
**If you are interested in this MAlt trip, you need to fill out additional questions at the end of the application**
I would like to apply to participate in both trips
Please indicate your age, year of graduation, gender, if you are an international student, and whether you’ve been on a MAlt trip before (if so, specify which one).
We are still seeking co-leaders for both trips! Self-identify whether you would like to be considered solely as a participant or as both a participant & a leader:
Participant Participant & Co-Leader
Leader responsibilities include organizing pre-trip meetings with all participants; being in communication with the MAlt Exec Board and Ashley Laux (MAlt advisor) about trip logistics; and overseeing the itinerary of the trip.
Why are you interested in attending this trip?
What qualities, skills, and experience do you possess that would help you contribute to a successful MAlt trip?
Please put an X next to the equipment that you own:
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Hiking backpack
[Gear will be borrowed from the Mountain Club for participants who need any of these items]
Please indicate whether you have a 15-passenger van license (from Middlebury) and might be willing to drive
____Yes____No____No, but I would be willing to get a license before Spring break
Please carefully read all statements below, consider them seriously, and sign to indicate your agreement.
Commitment: If I am chosen to be a participant, by signing below I commit to attending at least one orientation MAlt meeting leading up to Spring Break (there are additional training commitments for the Language in Motion trip).
Alcohol/Drug-Free Policy: MAlt is an alcohol- and drug-free program. MAlt adheres to this strict policy in order to achieve the program’s community service goals and to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants. As such, students are not to possess and/or consume alcoholic beverages and/or illegal drugs while participating on MAlt trips. Should this policy be violated, the participant will be asked to leave the trip and will be responsible for arranging and funding his/her return travel. By signing below, I agree with this policy and will adhere to it without exception.
Non-Refundable Payment Policy: All students accepted to a mini-MAlt trip must make a payment of $30 Friday, March 4, 2016. This payment will not be refunded. By signing below, I signify that I understand the MAlt non-refundable payment policy. If the payment presents a significant financial hardship, please contact Ashley Laux, Community Engagement () for information on financial aid. (Electronic signature accepted)
Signature: ______Date: ______
Submit this application to by Sunday, February 21, 2016.
Additional Application Questions for the LiM Mini-MAlt Trip
Destination: Lake Region Union High School (Orleans, VT)
Dates: March 29-March 31, 2016
Name Cell
To help us in our planning with Lake Region Union High School teachers, please review the list of possible presentation topics below and mark all those you would be interested in co-leading – then briefly describe how your experience, skills, and/or interests might be relevant to the topic. Please note: there is space below for new ideas, too!
LiM Mini-MAlt participants will be asked to lead specific presentations based on their stated interests, skills, and experience - and the topics that our partnering teachers request.
- _____A Day in the Life of a [Spanish-speaking country] College Student
Students across the world have very different life experiences depending on where they live. Presenters will discuss (in English or Spanish) an aspect(s) of college students’ lives in a Spanish-speaking country that they have spent time in, incorporating concepts related to Hispanic language or cultures. They will introduce how family, school, social life, or a particular trait impacts daily life.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
- _____A Day in the Life of a [French-speaking country] College Student
Students across the world have very different life experiences depending on where they live. Presenters will discuss (in English or French) an aspect(s) of college students’ lives in a French-speaking country that they have spent time in, incorporating concepts from francophone language or cultures. They will introduce how family, school, social life, or a particular trait impacts daily life.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
- _____Teenagers (& Education) in Different Countries
Young people across the world have very different life experiences depending on where they live. Presenters will discuss aspects of teenagers’ lives or education in a country they have spent time in. Students will recognize similarities and differences between young people’s experiences and think about the implications of those differences.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
- _____Community Involvement & Citizenship
What does it mean to be part of a community? Presenters will discuss why one’s culture or nationality is important to individuals or why it is important to contribute to your community. Presenters will focus on a specific place, age-group, community, or personal experience and can focus on a specific theme relevant to the curriculum.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
- _____[Country Name]: Beyond [well-known icon] and [well-known icon]
For example, “The United States: Beyond McDonalds and guns”
We frequently shape our understanding of countries and cultures by only what hits the news or appears in pop culture. Presenters will introduce a specific country or culture and expand on an aspect of that country, highlighting cultural differences, similarities, and intercultural understanding.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
- _____Cultural Relativity – or “Why I Don’t Use the Word Weird” anymore.
Our background and culture shape our expectations of what is normal. The student will share how their experiences and encounters with (a) different culture(s) shaped their understanding of cultural customs or concepts. Presenters will describe why it is important to recognize and respect other perspectives on a given issue.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
- _____The Global Environmental – Issues & Projects
Environmental science is global, but many environmental issues have dire local consequences. Presenters will draw on an issue area they have knowledge on and a place they have spent time in. They will discuss how an environmental issue or project relates to a different country(ies), cultural concept, or cultural differences.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
- _____International Community Service
There are many ways to get involved in communities and international issues both from at home and abroad. Presenters will discuss their own experiences doing community service abroad or working on an international issue at home. Key takeaways will include the importance of being involved in your community, getting out of your comfort zone, and being global citizens.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
- _____Stereotypes
What are stereotypes, and how do they build walls between people? Presenters will discuss why stereotypes appear, how they hurt people, and why we should recognize individual differences over false block categories. They may draw on personal experiences or cultures and countries in which they have spent time.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
(Optional)
- _____[New Topic Idea Title]:
Description:
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
(Optional)
11._____[New Topic Idea Title]:
Description:
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: ______
______
Thanks for your application! We look forward to reading it.
You will receive an e-mail by February 29th as to whether you have been selected as a participant.