Alternative Spring Break Handbook
Table of Contents
Overview………………pg. 2
Roles & Responsibilities………………pg. 3-5
Financial obligation…………………….pg. 6
Substance-Free policy…………………..pg. 7
Transportation…………………pg. 8-9
Contacts & Resources………………….pg. 10
Overview
What is Alternative Spring Break (ASB)?
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a weeklong immersive living and volunteering experience. Through meaningful action, reflection and education, volunteers engage in direct service that addresses a critical social issue. In addition to service activities, volunteers have a chance to explore the culture and history of their host community, build leadership skills, and develop strong friendships with other team members. ASB is one of many initiatives managed by the Center of Community Service.
Program Goals & Philosophy
By participating in this program, it is our hope that all volunteers will be able to:
· Identify the community need(s) being addressed by the organization with which they are serving
· Demonstrate critical reflection of service through guided activities
· Identify personal changes in attitudes and/or behaviors as a result of service experiences
It is also our hope that as a result of participating in ASB, the Team Leaders will be able to:
· Adopt appropriate professional communication styles and techniques for applicable audiences
· Summarize own leadership style and strengths
· Build professional relationships with co-leaders and participants
· Problem solve: generate solutions to challenges that acknowledge history, practice logical reasoning, and weigh the feasibility and impact of the solutions
· Create and execute decisions that ensure student well-being and learning throughout service experience
· Facilitate critical reflection of service through purposefully selected guided activities
It is our belief that participating fully in this program has the potential to be a transformative experience for all volunteers, and especially for emerging leaders. Our top priority is serving others, while embracing the opportunity to learn something new: about another community, about a social challenge, or about yourself.
We operate on a strengths-based model, and believe that all volunteers have valuable contributions to make. Therefore, our program encourages participation without regard to race, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, chosen major, or other identifier. Additionally, we want our participants to recognize that every community has both gifts and challenges. We do not travel to a host community to “fix” or “save” them, but to learn from them and to contribute our strengths while we are there. With this in mind, we expect that all of our participants keep their minds open throughout the ASB experience, and treat their hosts and each other with respect and dignity.
Roles & Responsibilities
Roles of Alternative Spring Break Participants
Volunteer: Undergraduate or graduate student who attends all team meetings and participates actively in all group activities before and during the trip.
*All participants are considered volunteers. Some participants have additional roles and responsibilities on top of what is expected of every volunteer in the program.
Team Leader: Undergraduate student who attends all trainings put on by the Center of Community Service, facilitates all pre-trip logistical planning, guides group activities and reflections, and serves as a liaison between the team, the host organization, and the Center of Community Service.
University Representative: Staff or faculty member who act primarily as a volunteer, while also holding the trip budget, and stepping in during emergencies and as needed to aid the Team Leaders, and serving as a primary driver (domestic trip locations only).
Responsibilities of participation
All participants should be aware that the Center of Community Service sends participant lists to both OSCCR and UHCS prior to departure. The Center of Community Service may deny an applicant a spot in the program based on a recommendation from OSCCR.
We expect all volunteers to:
· Be Flexible – things change! Adapt to adversity, mishaps, new developments, variety, vicissitude and vacillation while on ASB.
· Be Open – while committing to the service you’re providing, be open to the new experiences, ideas, and perspectives that your host community has to share with you.
· Respect – ASB is an equal-opportunity program, and we expect that all of our participants be respectful to each other, to staff, and to members of their host communities.
· Engage – enter this experience prepared to participate fully not only in the service, but in critical group reflections and group activities and living experiences. We expect our volunteers to stay with the team and not go on side trips alone or to visit friends and family. Enjoy the immersive aspect of this unique experience.
· Adhere to the expectations laid out in this handbook, Northeastern’s Student Code of Conduct and liability waiver, and other documents provided by the Center of Community Service.
We expect all Team Leaders to:
· Lead by example – be aware that your actions set the tone for the team, how they approach the work and activities, and how they will interact with the host community.
· Facilitate communication between the team and the host site.
· Communicate regularly and professionally with the Center of Community Service.
· Facilitate all logistical requirements in a timely manner, as laid out by the Center of Community Service and the host site.
· Attend regular TL trainings, and complete office hours each week, November through March.
· Complete additional tasks as requested by Center of Community Service staff and student coordinators.
University Representatives:
· If on a domestic trip, act as a primary driver (additional information on driving can be found on page 7).
· Hold the trip budget, keep running track of expenses and hold receipts; report expenditures to CCS upon return.
· Let the Team Leaders lead!
· In the event of an emergency, step into a leadership role: Ensure the safety of all participants, communicate updates to CCS, and coordinate with CCS to arrange next steps and logistical arrangements for the team.
Consequences
Participants who fail to meet the expectations laid out in this handbook and in other ASB documents and meetings may be asked to leave the program. If asked to leave the program, no refund of the trip fee will be issued.
In Case of Personal Emergencies
Unfortunately, family emergencies or severe illness sometimes coincide with spring break week. In this event:
· Volunteers: May leave the trip at their own expense.
· Team Leaders: May leave the trip at their own expense; At this point, the University Representative will step into their role, assisting the remaining Team Leader with problem-solving, decision making, and facilitating group activities and reflection.
· University Representatives: May leave the trip with appropriate notice to the Center of Community Service. They will be replaced if and when possible by another University staff member. If a replacement is not feasible, the Team Leaders will be guided by the Center of Community Service staff in fulfilling this role.
In any instance where a participant must leave the program early, the participant must notify their Team Leaders and the Center of Community Service before departing.
In Case of Critical Emergencies
In the event of a medical, security, political or natural hazard emergency participants should immediately notify the Center of Community Service. Northeastern University employs AON World Aware as a travel assistance and response provider. AON World Aware along with Northeastern University and the Center of Community Service will work to facilitate the appropriate response. Every reasonable accommodation will be made by the Center of Community Service to ensure the safety of the participants and get them back to Boston as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a refund of the trip fee.
Financial obligation
The ASB staff will assign a program fee to each trip. This fee covers the participant’s flights (if applicable), ground transportation, housing, meals, and any site fees associated with volunteering. The fee does not cover medical costs, passport fees, souvenirs, or the cost of background checks or medical tests (i.e. a negative TB test) required by some organizations and/or foreign countries.
In recognition of the hard work and planning put in to the program by the Team Leaders, they will each receive a 50% discount of the trip fee.
No refund policy: We use all funds as they are received to cover the costs of the program. We are unable to offer refunds of fees paid to the program for any reason.
As is often the case in the nonprofit world, things change! We are traveling to serve a host organization, and we ask our participants to please keep this in mind. The Center of Community Service does its very best to represent what a trip will be like, but we cannot guarantee type of housing, travel conditions, or even the content of a service project. Our host organizations always do their very best to accommodate volunteer’s needs, and we ask that you return the favor in kind.
Substance-Free policy
No participants are permitted to purchase or consume alcohol or recreational drugs at any time on an ASB trip regardless of age or laws in the host country. Our program strives to be inclusive in all ways, and alcohol and drugs are isolating forces that prevent community interaction. This policy is zero-tolerance. Incidents will be reported to OSCCR, and other consequences will be left to the discretion of team and program leadership, as each trip’s circumstances are different.
Students, Staff, and Northeastern Volunteers on ASB trips are representatives of the University and bound by the University’s Codes of Conduct and any sanctions arising therefrom regardless of location on a trip. Participants should be aware that some of our partner organizations and host sites forbid smoking entirely. Participants who might use tobacco should be aware of the specific trip issues with regards to tobacco.
Transportation
Ground Transportation
Global Trip locations: NO participant is permitted to drive a vehicle. The host organization will be responsible for arranging all ground transportation.
Domestic Trip locations: At most domestic trip locations, some participants will need to drive rental vehicles to transport the team for the week. All drivers must meet the following requirements:
· Be over 21 years of age
· Possess a valid U.S. driver’s license
· Become certified as a driver by Northeastern, which includes:
o Submitting a 3-year driving record free of moving violations
o Taking an online course and road test prepared and proctored by Northeastern’s Athletics department
All trips requiring drivers must meet the above requirements. Anyone driving is subject to the policy on University vehicles, and in addition to that policy, the following are enforced for ASB:
· Under no circumstances are 15-passenger vans, mopeds, motorcycles, or scooters permitted to be used on an ASB trip.
· Drivers on NU trips may not tow anything behind the vehicle (trailers of any type, other vehicles, etc.).
Violations received while driving a Northeastern-owned or -rented vehicle are the sole responsibility of the driver. Speeding or parking tickets will NOT be reimbursed. Additionally, all tickets, fines, warnings, or other infractions must be reported to the Center of Community Service, the Office of Risk Services, and NU Transportation as soon as possible.
In the event of an accident:
Vehicle damage to a Northeastern-owned or-rented vehicle OR damage to other vehicles caused by a Northeastern owned or rented vehicle will be covered, to the greatest extent possible, by Northeastern insurance. Additional costs above this coverage will be the responsibility of the driver found at fault for the damage.
Vehicle damage to a privately owned vehicle will be the responsibility of the owner.
Flights
The Center of Community Service books all travel arrangements, but is NOT responsible for changes in flight times resulting in late arrival to or return from the trip. Northeastern University will cover additional reasonable housing and food expenses resulting from such delays. However, no refund of the trip fee or other compensation will be given to participants as a result of delays. If groups must be split up on re-booked flights to reach their destination more efficiently, we reserve the right to choose this option.
Contacts
Office location: 172 Curry Student Center
Student Coordinators:
Anna Sylvester, Assistant Director, Center of Community Service
Mailing address: Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 212 CP, Boston MA 02115
617-373-7479
Hilary Sullivan, Director, Center of Community Service
617-373-5838
Resources
Northeastern Alternative Spring Break Website: http://www.northeastern.edu/communityservice/programs/alt_springbreak.html
Break Away:
http://www.alternativebreaks.org/
1