Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2016 - 21
(N OT YO U R AV
E R AG E )
An initiative that began in 1991
by a handful of students who
sought to spend their spring
break giving back is celebrating
a major milestone this year.
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Alternative Breaks, the Grand Valley
chapter of the national organization
Break Away, turns 25. The group has
evolved into a student-run, widespread
civic engagement program that
plans trips around the country during
weekends and breaks in the winter,
spring and summer. The trips focus
on social issues, including community
health, affordable housing, animal
rights, and youth and poverty.
The student organization was
established in 1991 when the Office
of Student Life initiated volunteer
opportunities for students under the
umbrella Volunteer GVSU. The group
was overseen by Jay Cooper, then
associate director of Student Life and
now associate professor of education.
The first Alternative Breaks trip was in
1992 at Cabrini Green, a public housing
project located on the north side of
Chicago. Students performed duties
such as cleaning and making repairs.
They also interacted with residents,
which was an important part of the trip,
said Cooper.
"The whole point of the initiative was
to provide an opportunity for students
to immerse themselves in an area,
serve the local community and reflect
on their experience, and that's exactly
what they did," he said.
21
Grand Valley Magazine
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2016
Campus News
Research
Donor Impact
Q&A Erika King
Athletics
Inside-out
Sustainability
Not your average spring break
Life stories
Off the Path
Fall Arts Celebration
Alumni News
Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineSpring2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineWinter2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineFall2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineSummer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMagazineSpring2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/Spring2016GVMagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/Winter2016GVMagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/2015FallGVMagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/Summer2015GVMagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMSpring2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/GVMwinter2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/Grandvalley/GVMFall2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/Grandvalley/grandvalleymagazine
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/spring2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/winter2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/gvsu/GVmagazine/fall_2013
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com