We’re Not in the Business of Alternative Breaks

Because of Stephen Covey (yeah, we’ve talked about him before. We can’t get enough!), we’re reconsidering how to reach a destination:

To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. — Stephen Covey

Break Away isn’t in the business of alternative breaks (and neither are you). We dream of a society of people who prioritize just and equitable community. Alternative breaks, and community engagement programming at large, are simply a powerful vehicle to get there. We are motivated to engage, commit, and perform because of our deep belief in our vision.

The unfortunate reality is our motivation may dwindle with the passage of time and overwhelming to-do lists. The majority of tasks associated with being a Site Leader, a Staff Advisor, or a community organizer aren’t “glamorous” (I.e., responding to emails, budgets and fundraising, logistics and crisis management), and most of us aren’t in this work for the love of an overflowing inbox.

It’s necessary to maintain a deep understanding of your landing point. For us at Break Away, the landing point is healthy, thriving neighborhoods, families, workplaces, schools… (you get it) of people who are contributors to the communities they are a part of. For a Site Leader, the landing point may be that participants return home from their trip willing and able to engage in critical dialogue around social issues. For an Executive Board member, it may be to develop a program rooted in strong enough values that they begin to permeate campus culture.

As the excitement of a new semester transforms into what may feel like an overwhelming responsibility, think of your position in the program and remember: you play a critical role in a vision that is so much bigger than a trip. Begin, and continue forward purposefully, with the end in mind.