Spend Your Break Making A Difference

Alternative Break programs let you volunteer, perform community service and have unique learning opportunities during your winter or spring break. By spending time immersed in a new community, you’ll learn about your role as a global citizen, make new friends and connections, and discover how you can become an agent of change.

After your trip, you’ll be able to share the lessons you learned with your classmates, and continue volunteering in the local community.

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Alternative Break Trip Details

The Student Engagement office offers Alternative Break Trips that engage students in direct service to address community needs. Each trip will focus on a social justice issue and allow students to learn about themselves and others while volunteering locally, nationally, and internationally. Trips may vary year to year depending on the availability of community partners and the prevalence of social justice issues to be addressed.

Below are descriptions of the trips for the 2024 programs.

Applications are Closed!

The application process for the 2024 Alternative Break Trips is now closed! Please check back in September 2024 for more information about our 2025 Alternative Break trips!

Who Can Go?

Any UB student can apply for the Alternative Break program. Each Alternative Break trip typically has 8-15 student participants, two student team leaders and two staff advisers. Students travel as a group to their specified destination with the staff advisers.

How Much Do These Trips Cost?

The cost for Alternative Break trips ranges widely depending on the trip. The cost per trip is mostly determined based on location and transportation needs. Applicants can request an estimate from the Student Engagement office to determine if the trip is affordable for them. Please note that we are only able to provide estimates when they are available - the actual cost of a trip will still vary.

Students who are accepted on trips will receive a detailed estimate of the cost of their trip and can discuss financial options with our team then. Financial support may be available; please contact the Student Engagement office for more information.

For more services and opportunities like this:

Student Engagement

Student Life

University at Buffalo
150 Student Union, North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
Email: Contact form

Phone: (716) 645-6469