ASB: Our History
Alternative Breaks at the University of Michigan began in 1990 when 2 students working in the SERVE office realized that spring break offered a great opportunity to combine fun and service off campus. Unaware of the fledgling national movement toward what some were already calling Alternative Spring Breaks (ASB), these students organized two Service Spring Break sites, and 15 students spent the last week of February working with Habitat for Humanity in Kalamazoo and Niles, Michigan. The initial success led these students to expand their vision a bit for the next year, and in 1991 they recruited 30 people to participate in three sites.
With this as its foundation, the program went through major transformations; in many ways, 1992 marked the genesis of UM-ASB as it is today when 50 students went to 5 sites. The student organizers realized the importance of pre-break training and group building coupled with reflection both during and after break, and they began to develop aspects of the program to ensure the success of these goals.
The growth continued in 1993, with 70 students participating in 7 sites; the coordinating students, two members of the SERVE leadership board, worked with site leaders to strengthen the pre- and post-break educational components. Upon return from Spring Break several participants wanted an opportunity to continue their service and community immersion, and began to put together weekend trips to Detroit and Flint. Thus, Alternative Weekends (AW) was born. In addition to this hard work, UM began its association with Break Away, a new organization founded by two recent graduates of Vanderbilt dedicated to this growing movement. UM's attention to the critical components of a successful service-learning program earned recognition from Break Away as the "National Program of the Year."
1994 brought further expansion and innovation, and marked the first time the program had to turn students away: 230 students applied for 110 spots at 11 sites. UM strengthened its already prominent position in the national breaks movement by piloting an ASB-for-credit trip to Appalachia, which combined the service over break with on-campus service and a winter term Sociology seminar examining the issue of poverty and the people and history of Appalachia. UM was again recognized by Break Away, with their first "National For-Credit Program of the Year."
1995 continued the dramatic program expansion. 440 students applied for 220 spots, going to 21 sites. ASB truly became a year-long experience, as site leaders were chosen in late September, and some groups continued to organize on-campus programs into April. We added a weekend-long site leader training retreat in the fall, and collaborated with Break Away to hold a statewide training conference. As testament to the program's continued quality, UM was recognized by Break Away as "Best Program in the Midwest," and by the Michigan Leadership Awards as the University's "Program of the Year."
In 1996, a new leadership structure was developed. Thirty groups with more than 300 students traveled to 16 states and Mexico to live, work and learn with communities. The Leadership Team increased from 2 to 8 coordinators (working with a .50 FTE staff advisor), each assuming responsibilities in education and training, fundraising, site development, or publicity. Cross campus collaborations increased, as the 21st Century Program, and the Lesbian, Gay, and Bi-sexual Programs Office (LGBPO) sponsored and co-developed ASB sites, and curriculum-based breaks combined a trip to Detroit with a seminar in Women's Studies, and one to New York with a mini-course through CAAS. For the second consecutive year, ASB was recognized by the Michigan Leadership Awards as the University's "Program of the Year."
SERVE also successfully piloted a Summer Break trip in 1996, during which 9 students collaborated with Lansing Community College to provide a week of educational and recreational activities for the children of migrant farm workers in west Michigan. This summer initiative was funded by the generous donation of ASB Leadership Team member Mona Kumar's $1500 award as the recipient of the national Howard Swearer Award for public service.
1997 saw a third consecutive year of recognition by the Michigan Leadership Awards as the University's "Program of the Year." Again, more students were able to participate, as the program utilized a financial grant from the Office of the Provost to expanded to 39 sites, while increasing attention to collaboration with campus groups and academic departments, and to significantly strengthening pre-break education.
In 1997-98, the second year of the Provost Grant, the program refined evaluation and outcomes measurement procedures, with an eye toward using results to continue improvement and growth. SERVE also proudly hosted the Break Away National Conference, held for the first time off of its home campus at Vanderbilt.
Since then, ASB at the University of Michigan has continued to expand and is now one of the largest programs in the nation, hosting approximately 35 sites, 12 leadership team members, over 70 site leaders, and more than 400 participants.
