Alternative Week of Off-campus Learning (AWOL)
Center for Academic Engagement Alternative Break Program
What is an alternative break?
It is an opportunity for university students to engage in community service projects and academic service-learning during an academic break instead of going on vacation or staying at home.
The AWOL Program includes 6 weeks of training about trip issues prior to departure, education and reflection sessions while on site and post-break education and service projects.
Travel with a group of USD students and staff to work with a cluster of community agencies on any number of issues, such as hunger, poverty, environmental protection, homelessness.
| Information for USD students, faculty and staff about getting involved in AWOL is available in myU. Portal. Go to myU > Academics Tab > Center for Academic Engagement Channel. The revamped portal represents an important milestone in the consolidation and enhancement of value-added content and services for the USD community. |
Winter Break 2009
AWOL Mexico
Sixteen USD students and two staff members from The U’s Center for Academic Engagement participated in an international Alternative Week of Off-campus Learning (AWOL) trip to Agua Prieta, Mexico during Winter Break.
The team of students prepared with extensive discussion and evaluation of immigration issues prior to the trip, which was Jan. 2 through Jan. 11. While in Agua Prieta, the group – serving with Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation’s Exchange Program– spent time with locals, experiencing Rancho Feliz’s projects in the border community. Many of the participants were surprised by the living conditions, especially when crossing the border from Douglas, Ariz.
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“The biggest shock was seeing the extreme difference of living conditions just by crossing a border. Dealing outside my bounds was an invigorating, once-in-a-lifetime experience which I would not trade for anything...”
~Kevin Cwach, Yankton, SD
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Spring Break 2009
AWOL Eagle Butte - Spring 2009: Great Places, Great Faces: Great Needs in South Dakota
Students traveled to the Cheyenne River Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota and coordinated activities through the Cheyenne River Youth Project, where the participants worked with children ages 4-18. In addition to working with the youth, they completed large-scale projects, including organizing a warehouse, and repairing homes. The Cheyenne River Reservation is located in one of the nation’s five poorest counties (Ziebach), and the Cheyenne River Youth Project works toward evaluating and responding to the community’s needs.
AWOL East St. Louis - Spring 2009: Extending our Education
Students participating in this service-learning opportunity worked with a variety of homeless serving organizations to provide strong education programs to their clients. Participants worked primarily with homelessness, poverty, and education. Students served as mentors and tutors to at-risk students at inner-city schools and after-school programs and participated in homeless patrols, neighborhood revitalization groups, and Peace Meals, a food distribution program for the elderly.
AWOL San Francisco - Spring 2009: The Pursuit of Happyness
Students worked with urban issues in the San Francisco Bay Area which was featured in the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” and partnered with The Bay Area Rescue Mission, The San Francisco Food Bank, and Project Open Hand. They learned about the conditions of urban poverty and the connections between poverty, youth development, and HIV/AIDS. Students were given the opportunity to work closely with individuals through various means of service including cooking, cleaning, food distribution, and restoration. Participants also spent time working with after school recreational and tutoring programs through R.O.C.K. (Real Options for City Kids).
AWOL Staten Island - Spring 2009: A New York State of Mind
The participants on this trip worked on a variety of projects focusing on homelessness, substance abuse, and working with HIV/AIDS issues. The group worked primarily with Project Hospitality, an organization that works extensively with the hungry and the homeless in Staten Island and has active and effective programs to educate and transform people's lives. They had the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of homelessness and substance abuse and had personal interaction with the people affected by these issues. Gaining a deeper understanding of these issues, talking with the real people affected by them and learning how our efforts can help change their lives.
The University of South Dakota's AWOL Program is a member of BreakAway: The Alternative Break Connection and is supported through a Learn and Serve America Grant through the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education.
