Stay tuned to register for Fall VOLbreaks!
Engaging students in diverse, quality alternative breaks so they become active and educated members of society.
The University of Tennessee has held VOLbreaks community service trips for students since 1993. The VOLbreaks program gives students the opportunity to engage in direct service in collaboration with communities around the world. Students who participate spend their fall, winter, or spring breaks learning about critical challenges facing communities, interacting with local leaders, and performing short-term projects with community agencies.
“One of my goals has always been to leave our UT community better than I found it. Going on a VOLbreak has not only allowed me to make connections with awesome students/faculty on campus, but has also expanded my perspective to leave the global community better than I found it.”
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The Community Collaborator Continuum is the driving force behind our work with VOLbreaks and is also why we utilize the 9 Components of Quality Community Engagement in our VOLbreak planning and execution. As illustrated with the model below, VOLbreaks can become much more than just memorable volunteer trips. These experiences can be a powerful catalyst for a transformed worldview where a volunteer’s perspective of their place in society changes to one of life-long social action.
Along with the Community Collaborator Continuum and 9 Components of Quality Community Engagement, VOLbreaks uses the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals to guide our program. The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by the global organization in 2015, and each goal strives to address the world’s most critical issues. Each VOLbreak trip is guided by one or more Sustainable Development Goals. Participants will learn about the relevant goal(s), including the targets and indicators of creating an impact as indicated by the United Nations.
