VOICES-1st Annual Alternative Winter Break

The History

The Student Center for Community and Engagement and the Volunteer Organization Involving Community Education and Service (VOICES) has hosted annual Alternative Break trips since 2004. As UTSA strives towards Tier One status, Alternative Breaks serve as a catalyst for students to become globally aware citizens. Alternative Breaks empower and challenge students to understand their relationship within the community through education, direct service, and reflection while on weeklong service trip over a winter or spring break.

The Student Impact

Our program is unique because Alternative Breaks completely immerses students in diverse environments enabling participants to experience, discuss, and understand social issues in a significant way. The intensity of the experience increases the likelihood that participants will transfer the lessons learned on-site back to their own communities after the Alternative Break ends. These trips are also innovative in their structure. This program builds leadership skills for the student trip leaders and for participants through planning, active involvement, reflection, and evaluation of the program. Alternative Breaks challenge students to critically think and react to problems faced by members of the communities in which they are involved, and offers an opportunity explore the city and culture they are visiting that week.

The Community Impact

This is the FIRST YEAR an Alternative Winter Break trip has been offered through VOICES. For this first year, a group of students will be traveling to Whitney, TX. The students will be working with a one of a kind facility in Texas, Isaiah's Place (IP). IP is an educational retreat facility focused on enriching the lives of the deaf community. The UTSA student volunteers will work to transform their bunkhouses into a comfortable, bright, and welcome environment. They will be painting and refurbishing the bunkhouses and reorganizing their library for better access.

What Your Gifts Will Do

Your donations will allow us to participate in these experiential opportunities without incurring a large out of pocket expense. Donations will cover transportation, meals, housing, and educational activities.

Thank you for your support!

Your support of this project is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use. Please share the story of this project with the members of your social network and encourage them to do the same.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead