Pacific Arts Festival & Closing Ceremonies...AMAZING

Yesterday after spending the morning in Em's office we ventured out to check out the festivities. Such a vibrant festival I feel SO lucky to have caught the last of it. Basically there is a giant lawn where each island has their own labeled hut and they are all arranged in a circle. Inside there are representatives from each pacific island selling arts & crafts, music and other cultural representations. In the middle of the circle there were periodic dances and music with islanders dressed to impress. There is also food vendors which Em sadly warned me to stay away from due to the food poisoning outbreaks that she has witnessed the past week. We milled around and enjoyed the beautiful day, spoke with different cultures, and even bought a few things. For lunch Em took me to a sushi place, which isn't even sushi as we would think of it (rolls & such) but basically a big bowl of super fresh sashimi and rice. So delicious! After lunch we headed to her casa for a quick power nap and to get ready for the festival's closing ceremonies at the stadium.


The closing ceremonies were AMAZING. They started off with speeches and all the island representatives sat on the field in their traditional clothing with their flags proudly displayed. Em and I snagged some VIP seats, no idea how we did this, but later someone told me they saw us on TV which was pretty funny. Later we moved to the field to join Em's crew. Then it was performance time, different groups sang, danced, and showcased their costumes as we lounged on the grass..so cool. The best was, of course, saved for last, when they turned off the stadium lights and proceeded to have 100+ fire dancers storm the field and give quite a show. We were in awe, it was beautiful. The dancers ran in circles, threw their torches in the air to each other, and a few especially talented handlers did solos in the middle of the circle.
Honestly the best live performance I have ever seen. These Samoans put on a celebration!!!


Then, just as you think you have witnessed a spectacular grand finale, they start a 20 minute long (at least) fireworks show which was also the best I have ever seen of its kind. The excitement was felt from all around as the viewers screamed and cheered as one firework after another exploded in the sky. Words can't really describe this experience, other then to say it will not be forgotten, I felt so blessed to be in that place at that time. Em kept saying how happy she was I was there, because even if she tried there was no way to explain this celebration, no one back home would really understand...Hopefully these few snapshots will paint a bit of a picture for you all, it was a great first day in American Samoa :)

AMERICAN SAMOA ADVENTURE: DAY 1

After a long day of travel, two 5 hour flights, I arrived in Pago Pago excited to start my trip. The airport was a crazy hoopla of excitement, Em wasn't lying when she said the whole town shows up for the 2 flights a week that land here. Families with brightly decorated welcome signs, shouting, hugging, laughing, and picture taking were all happening at once. She also wasn't kidding when she said landing here feels a bit like LOST the show, we were descending for a good while before I saw any sight of land until all of a sudden there was the island in the middle of vast expanses of ocean. Pretty crazy...
So far the people here are super friendly, I didn't spot Em right away but a local teen approached me and asked if I needed any help and offered up his cell phone to call her. As I was dialing I heard my name being called and spotted Em driving up...perfect timing! I hopped in her car and we went straight to a friend's house so I could meet her crew. What a crew it was, an assortment of people, ages and cultures all studying the ocean and environment. I am excited to find out more about what they are studying here, and maybe even help one of the Marine Biologists take surveys of sea turtles one of the days. Pretty soon we headed back to Em's to sleep, we had to get up at 6:30 to go to work and I wanted to be rested.
Em's house is quite cute, a nice pad for one, complete with a foos ball table for entertaining. She lives around the corner from many of her crew and in the morning she drives the carpool to work. If anyone knows Em this is HILARIOUS considering in all the time I knew her in the states she never had her driver's license OR knew how to drive a car. But, she shows up on the island, buys a $3000 car, and is cruisin it which is pretty awesome. The drive to work was beautiful, the road is right on the edge of the island and you follow the ocean the whole way. The layout is pretty crazy here, all the buildings are right on the water, and then the landscape immediately goes vertical into lush tropical land where it is next to impossible to build anything. NOT a good model for the whole global warming scenario, the ocean here rises just a bit and the whole town will be under water in no time.

Em's office is quaint and has a great view from the building (see above). It is located right across the street from the Festival of Pacific Arts, which I was lucky enough to catch the last day of festivities today. Em and I are gonna escape the office for a bit to check out the crafts and dancing from all 24 of the 27 Pacific Islands represented (apparently a record for the festival, which happens every 4 years on a different island...what luck I caught this event!). I am excited for what these 2 weeks will have in store, stay tuned...

Day 6: Reorientation, Recruitment & Site Develpoment...plus Forest Park Conservancy

We finally reached the last full day of the ABC's and it is bittersweet. I am exhausted and ready to go home, but the friendships I have made here will not be forgotten. Our group is all sad to be saying goodbye, but excited to bring all our new knowledge back to our campuses with us.

Seminar #1: Reorientation
In this session we discussed reorientation, a vital aspect of all AB trips that I have not been able to implement thus far and after learning the importance will make sure to do in the future.

Definition: The process in which participants readjust and transfer the lessons learned on-break back to their lives on campus.

In essence, reorientation is the "integration" or "now what?" stage of the alternative break experience.

Reorientation should allow participants time to present or communicate their experiences, plan for future action, celebrate accomplishments, further their education on the issue, educate others about their issue, and provide a method for support and accountability for further growth. The group shared their various reorientation methods and ideas, including group dinners with a slideshow, continued service work in the community, reflection and journals, and other social gatherings. But not only must the reorientation merely gather the group back together, it must be geared toward helping participants find opportunities to continue their service with the issue, their education, and ensure the students keep progressing on the Active Citizen Continuum.

We talked about having a dinner with reflection, a slideshow with not only pictures of the trip but statistics on the issue in their own community and how many service hours were completed on the AB, and even a volunteer fair with local agencies present so participants can figure out a way to get active in their community. This type of event would be a great event to invite university officials to in hopes of gaining positive recognition for the program, I would definitely try to get the Dean or President to attend in hopes of getting AB worked into the school budget at some point. Another idea was to have a reorientation service day for the group to get back together to work as a team in their home town and reflect back on how the trip impacted their lives. I liked all these ideas and will try to implement them for the next trip.

With reorientation also comes evaluation, and we discussed having surveys to gauge the success of the trip and what can be improved in the future. I do currently have a survey I send out, but sadly it is not mandatory and I would like to make it a part of reorientation. These evaluations are important and can mean the difference between getting extra funding for future trips. Although I am just one person, I feel I can pull off some type of meaningful reorientation in the future.

Seminar #2: Recruitment
This session was short and sweet...but informative. We basically discussed in small groups the population we were hoping to get on AB trips (for my program we really need men) and some possible solutions. I got ideas from my group, such as going to fraternities, sporting events, WOW/Orientation, classes with subject matter that relates to the issue we will serve, and even posting fliers in the men's bathroom. I got some good feedback, and I hope these strategies can up the participation of males on our next trip. It is so refreshing to be able to pick the group's brains and get meaningful input from people that have had the same problems. I look forward to a more intensive recruitment process in the fall.

Seminar #3: Site Development
In this session we talked about the components of a quality service & host site, which include:

1. Work: there must be enough for volunteers to be busy the entire trip!
2. Housing: Make sure to get recommendations from the agencies you are serving
3. Education: Ask host site for any ideas on films to watch, articles to read, or any other materials that will help students become more familiarized with the issue being explored
4. Community Interaction: Make sure the students have time to interact with the locals, whether in service or afterwards
5. Issue: Must be passionate about it!
6. Location: Make sure it is accessible and issue based
7. Affordability: Make sure it is attainable for students

We also discussed how to develop and maintain a good relationship with a host site, and the various components that takes into account. These components are below:

1. Timeline: Be sure you are on the same page
   
2. Research: Make sure you get recommendations from past volunteers, and investigate the organization through the Internet
3. Information: Be sure to educate yourself on the mission/vision of the organization
4. Schedule: Be sure to communicate your group's preference on what type of work you hope to be doing and develop a schedule together
5. Evaluation: Keep open communication to make sure your group is being viewed in a positive light by the agency
6. Continuity: Keep in contact to ensure a place if you would like to go back and help out
7. Comfort levels: Be aware of each others expectations
   
8. Attitude: Be sure the host site is a positive atmosphere that will be excited to welcome your group

It is vital to form a good relationship with host sites to ensure your AB program would be welcomed back if you wish to return to a particular site on another trip. It is also just good form to build a solid relationship with the organization and community you are trying to serve.


Forest Park Conservancy
For our service project today we headed into the woods to do trail maintenance at FPC. This was a beautiful forest with over 70 miles of hike-able trails, really impressive. We helped two more AmeriCorps members (this city seems to run on them) with clearing brush and branches off the trails. It was a lot of fun, and we all agreed a breathtaking atmosphere. We ate lunch on the trail and chatted with the FPC girls who were down to earth and really nice. It was a great afternoon that left me quite tired, dirty and sweaty but excited about service. Tomorrow there are no more seminars (whew), just graduation and a sad farewell...

Day 5: Alcohol & Alternative Breaks and Fundraising...plus Friends of Trees

I really enjoyed today, especially knowing tonight was the un-facilitated, un-scheduled Social Night! But before we can relax we had to pack in those seminars...

Seminar #1: Alcohol & Alternative Breaks
In this session we discussed the importance of having Alternative Break trips be substance free, and the various reasons for this decision at Break Away. I felt it was a good topic to discuss, we all shared the various universities' policies and discussed all the issues that arise with allowing alcohol on the trips. We discussed the fact that the whole point of these trips is that they are ALTERNATIVE, meaning they are different then the normal college trip, and that the focus should be service and reflection and being clear headed enough to process the days events. We also talked about the fact that the image we are striving for is to be committed to service, and alcohol counteracts that image and goes against our goals. The National Movement of Alternative Breaks is all about a positive image, and when alcohol is introduced many issues arise such as liability, respect, and even the threat of losing funding and support.
Ultimately, the trip becomes much more meaningful when the participants commit to a weak of abstinence in order to reach a new level and appreciation for the social issues they are working with. Even if the students are of legal age, the point is to commit as a group to rising above any urges they may have to reach an altered state. It is import to discuss the substance free aspect of the trip beforehand to ensure participants understand why the trip will be alcohol free and to make sure they are committed to this pledge. I will also be noting this aspect on trip applications, as well as having contracts for the students to sign along with the rest of their paperwork.

Seminar #2: Fundraising
In this seminar we explored many aspects of fundraising and shared our success stories with the group on events and ideas that we have used in the past. I am super excited to try out some of these ideas that were unique and exciting for our own trips since in the past there has not been any time devoted to fundraising. Trip costs are high, and I want to ensure that price is not a discriminatory factor in who is able to go on an Alternative Break. Staff also gave us a helpful formula to calculate how much money per hour is raised with our fundraisers to figure out how worthwhile a specific idea ends up being.
We also discussed budgets of various programs, which was good for me to hear since we do not have a budget in place. I got an idea of where people spend their funds, and about how much they allot to aspects such as transportation, food, housing, administrative fees, staff training, promotional items, and emergency money. There are many components to factor in, so my next step is to figure out how I go about receiving funds to actually be able to create a budget.
Lastly we all formed and practiced our "elevator speech," a 30-second speech used to convey the mission of the program and inform others about why they should support Alternative Breaks.

The components of this elevator speech are listed here:

1. Paint an exciting picture of program
2. Connect with personal interests
3. Descriptive yet succinct
4. Give specific examples to help the listener understand
5. Tell a clear picture & purpose of Alternative Breaks
6. Convey a sense of trustworthiness (easy if you are passionate about the program)
7. Personalize the story
8. Test out your speech before you use it!!!

The speech I came up with was pretty good:

"I have recently become passionate about the growing national movement of Alternative Breaks. This is a University based, non-partisan movement devoted to creating active citizens with community as a priority. We recently traveled to New Orleans to do disaster relief and our students volunteered their time during a school break to the communities in need. I enjoy witnessing the growth of Alternative Break students to becoming active members of the community, and growing personally through service."

This speech is a great way to introduce your program to potential supporters/funders, school administration, as well as interested students. Some factors to consider when going into the community to seek financial support for trips are:

• Rules of our school/institution
• Making sure not to compete with the school's foundation
• Obtaining permission to use school materials, logos, letterhead, etc.
• Who will sign the letters (try to get the Dean, President, or other respected authority)
• Making a connection or partnership with your donors/sponsors to make it worthwhile to them (putting logos on the shirts, media attention, etc.)
• Try to make donations tax-deductible for extra incentive
• Have donation opportunities online for greater ease
  
• ALWAYS thank your givers...a letter, postcard from site, pictures, or dinner to cement the connection and facilitate future support

We then practiced amongst ourselves the art of the "ask" and gave feedback on how to get your message across in a positive way and gain supporters. I think my skills have improved after this workshop and I hope to find community support in the future.


Friends of Trees
We had a great day of service at Friends of Trees today. The site leader, Ramona, taught us about the history of the organization which includes adding 30,000+ trees to the canopy since their beginning. She was a Forestry specialist (and AmeriCorps-hooray!), and super knowledgeable about every plant and tree present. We got a tour and tree lesson which was a lot of fun, and cleared out brush and invasive species surrounding the trees they had planted in March. We had a great time, and at the end she told us what a fun group we were which was really nice to hear. I loved getting dirty in the forest, and can't wait to see what tomorrows service will have in store.

Day 4: Active Citizenship, Reflection & Diversity...plus The Rebuilding Center

We endured 3 seminars today covering a variety of topics, and got to work at an incredibly unique building materials recycling store called The Rebuilding Center (biggest of its kind in North America). So let's get to it!

Seminar #1
In this seminar we explored the Active Citizen Continuum, a model that discusses the different stages Alternative Break participants may be at and where we saw ourselves on the continuum.
The stages are as follows:

MEMBER: Not concerned with his/her role in social problems
VOLUNTEER: Well-intentioned but not well-educated about social issues
CONSCIENTIOUS CITIZEN: Concerned with discovering root causes; asks why? ACTIVE CITIZEN: Community becomes a priority in values and life choices

We discussed what may help facilitate the progression of participants through these stages, which included education, inspiration through service, an emotional connection made during service, and proximity to other active citizens. It was brought up that it is good to have a balance of participants in the various stages on trips in order to ensure a balanced group that can inspire each other and excite each other on the issues being addressed. We then placed ourselves on this spectrum, for which I decided I was between being a volunteer and conscientious citizen, this definitely inspired me to make that leap to become an active citizen dedicated and educated on many different issues. It was quite inspirational...

Seminar #2
In seminar #2 we discussed the qualities of a good reflection and how to facilitate reflections on your AB trips. I was excited for this seminar especially because reflection is not my strong point. I would not consider myself a touchy-feely person, yet this is SO important to ensure the participants can fully digest their days of service and the purpose of the trip. I was eager to hear how I can improve my reflection/facilitation skills to make participants have an enriching experience that makes a life long impact. We were introduced to the "Triangle of Quality Community Service" which includes Education, Orientation & Training (EOT), Direct Service, and Reflection and how it is important that these three components go hand in hand to maximize participants personal growth. We also talked about starting off with objectives of the reflection, then reflecting, then having a closing statement. It was also suggested to start off with an ice breaker or activity to create a safe space for the group, as well as to make sure you provide opportunities for both group AND individual reflection time.

A reflection model we discussed is the What, So What, Now What model:

What: The descriptive phase. Discuss the service of the day, what exactly did you do?

• Talk about the day
• Facts, occurrences, lead naturally into interpretation

So What?: The interpretive phase. How did it make you feel?

• "I" statements and generalizations
• Consequences and meaning for them

Now what?: The action phase. How are you changed?

• What will you do differently?
• Lessons learned from the experience are reapplied to other situations

All in all I am more confident now about leading a successful reflection, I feel the models and tools taught were informative and helpful and I look forward to testing them out.

Seminar #3
Seminar #3 was very activity oriented, and is pretty hard to describe the benefits of the activities in words, but it was an eye-opener. We discussed the importance of seeking out diversity for AB trips, and the different types of diversity present. We took part in some uncomfortable exercises that show cased how much diversity was present just in our 40 person group, and to remind you that you can never judge a person on first contact. I cant delve too much deeper into this, other then to say it was awkward and promoted a lot of personal growing pains for myself and my group.


The Rebuilding Center
After all the intense sessions we were able to go do some service again (yaay!) which I am always excited about. We went to the Rebuilding Center which blew my mind, it was an incredible facility and I was really excited to help out there for the afternoon. We were charged with sorting various things, anywhere from tiles to windows to lumber, and this place was huge! It was really refreshing to think this store saved so many goods from getting dumped into landfills and it was fun to help the customers find gems from the recycled materials. All in all I loved the service, enjoyed the seminars, and am looking forward to tomorrow...

Day 3: Learning Components, Facilitation & Group Process...plus Zenger Farm

We started the day off with 2 seminars that were extremely informative and well put together.

Seminar #1: Learning Components
In this seminar we discussed Learning Components, and it was all about pre-trip education, orientation and training. These are so important to each trip to teach the students about the issues they will face and make sure the trip is deep and meaningful and not just a "fun service" trip. This is a part of Alternative Breaks that I have not been too in depth with and I got great ideas for how and why it is essential. We broke down the components as follows:

EDUCATION: Specific to social issue(s) with which your AB is dealing.

• Links/connects social problems with everyday lives & personalizes the issue
• Builds respect for the community and helps instill cultural sensitivity
• Provides the tools for meaningful, directed action/service

ORIENTATION: Specific to the organization (site) with which the group will be working, should happen before trip as well as at site.

• Teach participants the organizations Vision, Mission, work & how the AB group fits in
• Provides information regarding the project to which you are contributing
• Examines the organizations relationship with the community as well as the specifics of that community's culture, politics, economic situation and community dynamic

TRAINING: Specific to the skills participants will need to successfully and effectively complete the project.

• Be sure to have a clear understanding of the direct service the group will be involved with. A week itinerary should be discussed and solidified with host site.
  
• Make sure to ask host site if any materials should be gathered prior to the trip for the specific service
• Participants should have some time of training prior to the trip on how to deal with uncomfortable situations on site or personal criticisms with host site or community.
  
• Site leaders should be ready to facilitate reflections and discussions around these issues during small group time detached from direct service and community members

These 3 tools are very important to an AB, especially education. We then explored even further how to approach education and what should be covered. We learned the "mind map" model, which is basically an idea web that helps you to think about all the categories education should cover. There is sooo much to include, such as history, definition, culture, statistics, etc to make sure the students are getting a full picture of the issue being served. Lastly in this seminar we made a timeline for how to include all this information, which should be spread out over 5-8 pre-trip meetings (I definitely didn't make that quota before, but will now). We talked about making contracts for applicants to ensure they are committed to the entire AB experience, including the pre-trip meetings, to ensure everyone has enough prep time. Very helpful...

Seminar #2: Facilitation & Group Process
We focused here on facilitation and conflict resolution, and talked about appropriate ways to handle certain situations that may be presented on an AB.

Facilitation: The art of leading people through a process toward agreed upon objectives in a manner that encourages participation, ownership & productivity from all involved.

Goals of facilitation:
1. To build and protect a group's safe space (create rules together, discuss personal goals/fears)
2. Stretch the comfort zones in order to maximize creativity and growth of group members
3. To encourage everyone to take part in the discussion and the group process

We discussed how to get participants involved, and possible reasons they may not be contributing and how to address those situations. We also talked about how to have successful co-facilitation with other group leaders, which is very important to upholding a positive group dynamic. I definitely could have used this information on previous trips!

Here are some tips I learned about co-facilitation:
1. Allow plenty of time for planning together. This will ensure that you are both on the same page and feel ready for the task at hand. Develop agendas and itineraries, group sessions, and meetings together.
2. Know each other well, assess each others leadership styles and strengths
3. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities
4. Discuss possible pitfalls and how you may want to address them
5. Set ground rules together that include using open communication
6. Discuss the Vision for your group and your partnership

We then discussed the elements of conflict resolution, as follows:

• Speak directly to the person using his/her name
• Creates an environment of respect/honesty
• Body language is key component (no arm crossing!)
• State the problem
• Identify the conflict
• This is not an accusation, but directly identifies and addresses the problem
• Tell the person how you feel (I statements!)
• Do not blame, but identify personal feelings
• Stress that feelings are the result of the situation
• Tell the person what you need
• Identify personal needs as well as the root of the problem
• Ask for a specific result/solution/change in action
• The person responds with what he/she can or can try to do
• Negotiate a solution
• Share expectations, take turns, and encourage communication
• Avoid feelings of guilt by being given the opportunity to change the next situation

*Always be sure you are promoting Active Listening*

After that we talked about the LARA model, which is a non-violent model for responding to hostile or ignorant arguments.

The LARA model works like this:
L-Listen
A-Affirm
R-Respond
A-Add information

Listen closely to whatever motives, however misguided, one must hold in order to make a hostile or ignorant comment/question. Here will be the common ground that is needed to build conversation from. To get there, you listen to all they have to say, with no interruption. Then, you must find a piece of what they say to honestly agree with.

Affirm this common ground and the good intention of the person who made such a comment (as hard as that may be).

Respond to the issue raised. Identify the issue raised. Preface the next sentence with AND not BUT.

Add relevant information or opinions that will help them see issue in a new light or redirect conversation in a positive direction.

We practiced some scenarios with this model and it worked out well. I hate conflict, so I was glad to learn this model as well as the elements of conflict resolution to help me deal with any issues that may arise.

Zenger Farm
After the seminars we ate lunch and got ready to do our service project for the day at Zenger Farm. I was so excited to get outside and be active, it has been difficult for me to sit still for so long at a time so this was like a reward. We weeded their strawberry fields and chatted the afternoon away, I am really starting to love my group it is a great bunch of people and we have definitely bonded already.

The farm was really cool, all organic with solar power, they had fields they allow refugees from Laos to use for their families, some chickens, various crops, and even a summer camp for children to learn to grow and cook organic. I wish I could have done that as a kid! Jackie, an AmeriCorps member stationed at the farm, worked with us and she was great. We chatted a lot about her program, which is all environmentally based, and exchanged stories while we worked. I am excited to work at the other projects throughout the week and continue to bond with my team.

Day 2: Team building, Education & Strategic Program Planning

Today we covered A LOT of bases, this conference really packs it in!

Seminar #1: Team Building & Ice Breakers
In the morning we headed back to the park to engage in some team building games and ice breakers that we can use with our groups. They broke it down into 4 categories: Name games, about me, touching/awkward games, and trust games. There were 4 games I will definitely bring back with me, they are as follows:
1. Flash (about me): Group sits in a circle, one person asks a question and each person must answer the first thing that comes to mind. A great way to get to know group members and demand 100% participation. Example: If money were not an issue, what would you do for a living?
2. Turning a new leaf (touching/awkward, trust): Everyone must stand on a sheet, then you must turn the sheet over with everyone still on it using teamwork, communication, and a lil up close and personal hanging on to your fellow members.
3. Blanket Drop (name game): Split group in two, raise up a blanket between the two sides, have one person on each side creep up to the blanket, drop the blanket and each member must shout the opposing members name, whoever says the other persons name 1st gets to bring that person to their side. A great way to enforce learning each others names.
4. Link (about me): Start with one person listing things about them self, then when they say something another group member can relate to, they link arms. The game continues until you link into a circle.
I definitely see the importance of these activities to use with an Alternative Break group, after this morning our Break Away group became a lot closer and more comfortable with each other.

After morning games we headed to a local theater to watch 11th Hour, an educational documentary about environmental issues. The staff is showing us how important it is to share educational pieces about what service the group is involved with, and to reflect and discuss after the showing. It was a powerful film and was inspiring especially since we are working on similar issues this week. I think showing a film on trips is very important, and when we take groups to New Orleans we show When the Levees Broke which always has a huge impact. I picked up some great reflection questions from this session.

Seminar #2: Education & Strategic Program Planning
This afternoon we had a very long and intense session titled Organizational Structure and Strategic Planning. This session was all about exploring other people's programs and learning from the diverse array of Alternative Break models being used across the country. We had Q & A for awhile about various successes and ideas and I was inspired but a lot of the programs. We also spent time identifying goals for our own programs, time lines for such goals, and also developing a vision and mission statement which are incredibly important components of any organization. Here is what I came up with, which I sure will be altered later but I am excited to have a back bone to go with:

Vision: Our Alternative Break Program hopes to bring understanding & enlightenment through service to the world.

Mission: Cal Poly Alternative Breaks hopes to positively affect the world one person at a time through enlightenment & empowerment by service. We will not only strive to inspire change in the communities we serve, but in our own community as well.

Goal statements were also introduced as part of missions and visions, and they state what you hope to achieve with your program. When making goals, they should have the following categories in consideration:
1. Education & training
2. Service
3. Fundraising
4. Recruitment
5. Diversity

We also discussed the SWOT chart (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) which is a good way to evaluate components of our program. I identified components of our program for each category such as:
Strengths: Chumash Challenge team building sessions before trips, our blog
Weaknesses: Cost of trips, lack of diversity among participants
Opportunities: Using Break Away as a resource, identifying donors, and hosting events
Threats: No stable funding, gas prices & inflation, lack of staff

Another interesting component that was introduced was the components of objectives that you make for your program. They are SMART, when you have objectives they need certain components, as follows:
SPECIFIC: Must pertain to a certain task/program
MEASURABLE: Quantifiable by date, outcomes, responsibility
ATTAINABLE: Doable within the time prescribed and with existing constraints
RESULTS-ORIENTED: Focused on short term activities to gain long term goals
TIME-DETERMINED: A time frame for completion is established

This is a great model to use to ensure you make goals that are attainable and have a course that is easy to follow. After determining these specifics, you set up action steps to ensure you know what needs to be done to reach your goals. A time line is also important, and the doling out of responsibility to staff/team members is key. I will make sure to use this model, I think it is easy to follow and will produce positive results for the program.

So, in close, I learned a lot today that was extremely enlightening and useful for the future of our program. I can't believe it is only Sunday I can't imagine how much I will learn throughout the week!
Ciao!

Day 1: Break Away

After a few flights and delays, I landed in Portland this afternoon excited to start my conference. After visiting the restrooms in PDX I got a glimpse of why Break Away choose Portland as the site for the Environmental Stewardship Conference, low-flow flushers in each stall definitely caught my attention as well as a hand made bike display attesting to the passion for biking and other alternative modes of transportation around the city. I hopped on the clean and efficient MAX train (very impressive public transportation in Portland) and headed to the city center where our hostel is located, enjoying the passing views. As I got closer to the city center each stop enticed me more, I was terribly tempted to hop off and explore the amazing farmer's market we rode through as well as the outdoor concert we passed by, but alas I was on a tight schedule.

Once everyone had arrived the Break Away staff took the 45 or so participants to a near by park to start orientation, the park was green and beautiful and I already feel love for this city. We all played a few ice breakers and name games to try to get to know each other better, and explained our Alternative Break roles with our perspective schools. I am amazed at the variety of schools and programs represented, and I am very excited to pick people's brains and find out their successes and failures. Everything from schools that go on 10+ trips a year with multiple staff people, to me, the basically one woman show with a brand new program. I am excited, I feel I have so much to learn from everyone at this conference and I am ready to dive in.

After ice breakers we had a delish dinner (VEGETARIAN-all food at this conference is vegetarian due to the lighter environmental impact) and gathered in the "secret garden" of the hostel to learn about the awesome sites we will be serving, which I listed in my first post. We also were educated on the history and logistics of Break Away, and what they have to offer to schools who wish to become a charter of their program. The schedule is packed, with lots of mini educational seminars mixed with direct service. I feel I will come away from this week with an enlightened view of Alternative Break programs all over the country, and I look forward to implementing new ideas once I return to Poly. Now...to bed!

Break Away Conference

As an AmeriCorps member stationed at The Cal Poly Community CENTER, I have had a tremendous amount of opportunity to learn more about myself and develop my career goals. I came to Cal Poly in June 2007 and was coincidentally put on the Alternative Break project. This program was an idea from a Communications student active in Student Community Services on campus, and I feel very lucky to have been around in its infancy. Cal Poly Alternative Breaks is a program that promotes one week service trips for students who wish to make a positive impact on a community in need. I have always had a passion for traveling and I love to be involved in any type of community service, so when I discovered the field of Volunteer Tourism it all clicked for me. During my time at Cal Poly I have organized and led three service trips, two to New Orleans for Katrina Relief, and one to Jamaica to work on an organic farm. With each trip I become more knowledgeable about the process, and I become more certain this is what I want to do with my life. I love bringing new experiences and cultures to the students, as well as doing service activities that leave a lasting impression on the participants. When I get messages like the one below it makes all the hard work worth it!

Hey Kelsey,

I just wanted to thank you for such a great trip, definitely the best of my life. I know how hard you worked to make sure everything ran so smoothly, it showed and I know everyone really appreciated it. I couldn't have asked for a better trip or group of people, I'm definitely down for the next trip if there is one. Anyways, thanks again for such an amazing time and hopefully I will see you soon.

-Paul Watkins, New Orleans 2008 summer break trip

With my goals in place I want to do everything in my power to obtain them. I will begin Graduate School in the Fall to obtain an MS in Parks, Recreation and Tourism so I can become an expert in the field. This summer I plan on attending Break Away's Alternative Break Conference, the ABC's, in order to develop my Alternative Break planning skills. I will be participating in the Environmental Stewardship Conference, taking place in Portland, Oregon July 19-25. Below are details about Alternative Breaks, Break Away and the ABC's:


What is an Alternative Break?
An alternative break program places teams of college or high school students in communities to engage in community service and experiential learning during their summer, fall, winter, weekend or spring breaks. Students perform short term projects for community agencies and learn about issues such as literacy, poverty, racism, hunger, homelessness and the environment. The objectives of an alternative break program are to involve college students in community-based service projects and to give students opportunities to learn about the problems faced by members of communities with whom they otherwise may have had little or no direct contact. Being completely immersed into diverse environments enables 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 even after the alternative break ends. Break Away seeks to use alternative breaks as a springboard into lifelong active citizenship...where the community becomes a priority in an individual's life decisions.

Eight Components of a Quality Alternative Break Program:

1. Strong Direct Service
2. Alcohol & Drug-Free
3. Diversity
4. Orientation
5. Education
6. Training
7. Reflection
8. Reorientaion
   

Examples of trips students have organized are:

o tutoring migrant farmworkers in Florida
o building homes in Appalachia
o registering voters in rural Mississippi
o working with the homeless in Washington, DC.

In the spring of 2006, an estimated 36,000 students across the nation participated in an alternative break experience.

Creating Leaders and Active Citizens
Break Away's mission is to train, assist, and connect campuses and communities in promoting quality alternative break programs that inspire lifelong active citizenship.

Break Away's vision is a society of active citizens: people who value the community as a priority when making life decisions. As part of a quality Break Away experience, participants will become more educated and experienced in all sides of a social issue. Upon return, they will be empowered to make more informed decisions and take meaningful action that supports a greater good. They will become contributing members of society and will weigh in on issues that impact their communities.

Training, Assisting, and Connecting
Break Away®: the Alternative Break Connection, Inc. is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the development of quality alternative break programs by providing training and information primarily to colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations interested in creating lifelong active citizens through these intensive service-learning programs.

2008 Portland ABCs
July 19 - July 25
Hosted by the Northwest Portland International Hostel

Issue Focus: Environmental Stewardship
We will be working with several organizations in one of the most environmentally progressive cities in the nation, participants will engage in reducing, reusing, recycling and removing!

Direct Service Projects: ABCs participants will engage in volunteer work focused on environmental issues. Our potential community partners (see below) provide a wide range of education on the issues and broad exposure to the local community.

The ReBuilding Center: Some of the things participants might do include: sorting and unloading materials, painting, pulling nails, sweeping, measuring doors and various other tasks to help them organize and move the building materials received.

The Nature Conservancy in Oregon: Participants typically perform outdoor, preserve management tasks at various natural areas and preserves. Some of this work might include invasive species removal, trail work, native plantings, seed collection, carpentry/fencework, and research.

The Forest Park Conservancy: Participants may be clearing down wood, restoring washed out trails, planting native shrubs, or working on small construction projects.

The No Ivy League: In order to reduce the invasive English Ivy that is detrimental to the ecosystem, participants will work on restoration projects, trail maintenance or help with research and surveying.

Education: The Learning Components (Education, Orientation, and Training) are essential to a quality alternative break experience. After registering, you will be added to a listserv and will be invited to join a Facebook group for your ABCs session. Pre-conference education materials will be available through these venues and on the website prior to the event. Links will soon be provided below. Participants will also receive extensive on-site education, including the Speaker Panel, Community Dinner, additional readings, Movie Night, discussion groups, and activities at the service projects.

I hope to gain a tremendous amount of insight from this conference and will bring the knowledge back with me to improve Cal Poly's Alternative Break Program. I will be blogging my experiences daily while in Portland, and hope to come back with greater insight into planning a successful Alternative Break Program.