What we are and what we do:
Alternative Weekends are overnight community service opportunities designed to meet several goals, including:

• Offer students worth-while volunteer opportunities
• Promote substance-free activities
  
• Get students to think critically about environmental and social justice issues through reflection
• Give students an opportunity to get off campus for a weekend
  
• Connect students to the greater community
  
• Meet new people and make new friends
  
• Continue to create a culture of civic-engagement on campus

Trips are student led, offering a unique and an engaging occasion for leadership for experienced students.  More experienced leaders are paired with newer leaders to pass on pearls of wisdom and serve as pdeuso mentors.  While many details for the trips are coordinated by an Americorps*VISTA , leaders are responsible for planning and leading pre-trip meetings, informing their participants on the issues they will be dealing with, coordinating paperwork as well as taking the lead during excursions and leading reflection.

In only their third year of programming, Alternative Weekends are quickly on their way to being self sustaining, student run programs.  This is evidenced by the strong partnerships established with host organizations and the rave reviews from both participants and host organizations.

Please spend a few minutes perusing through the site and reading about some of the projects Alternative Weekends have taken part in.  If you have any questions, suggestions or if you are a part of an organization that you think would be a good match for an Alternative Weekend please contact Jason Johnson , Americorps*VISTA.  


Copyright 2002© Ben Zimmerman and Jason Johnson.