Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a student-run, non-profit service organization at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). ASB sends U of I students on nationwide service trips four times throughout the year. During their fall, winter, spring, and summer breaks, ASB participants travel across the country to learn about and actively combat social justice and environmental issues. Trip issues include but are not limited to: hunger and homelessness, rural and urban poverty, child development, domestic violence, LGBT rights & advocacy, illiteracy, healthcare, environmental conservation, and wildlife rehabilitation. Check out our trips by selecting a season on the navigation bar on the left!

Anyone who is currently a registered student (fulltime or part-time) at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign can get involved, undergraduate and graduate students alike! International, transfer, and exchange students, that means you too! We encourage and value diversity and we welcome everyone and anyone to check us out!

You can get involved by going on ASB trips during school breaks or participating in ALTweekend trips (see next point to find out what an ALTweekend is)! (illinoisasb@illinoisasb.org) Sign up for our mailing list to receive information on upcoming events & important deadlines!

Yes, certainly! Many students tell us that they want to go on a trip but cannot do so for various reasons and would still love to get involved somehow. For this reason, we have created ALTweekend trips! ALTweekend trips are alternative weekend trips and they are designed to provide participants with an ASB experience as if they were on a mini ASB trip. ALTweekend trips occur during different weekends throughout the school year and take place locally in Champaign-Urbana. Although ALTweekend trips are shorter than regular ASB trips, they encompass many components of a regular ASB trip, such as: direct service, diversity, and group reflections. Each ALTweekend trip has an issue of focus and participants will have the opportunity to learn about and work with local agencies. Because ALTweekends are short and take place locally, participant fees are much lower than those of regular ASB trips.

The question is: Why shouldn't you go on an ASB trip?

Oh, there are so many things that make ASB special! Here are just a few of them:
1. ASB trips concern diverse social justice & environmental issues - we are always looking for new trips to send!
2. We send trips all year round during the fall, winter, spring, and summer!
3. Leadership roles & training available with no experience is needed!
4. ASB grants thousands of dollars in scholarship/financial aid money to participants each year!
5. Undergraduate & graduate student involvement on trips!
6. Integrated pre & post-break educational components before and after trips are sent!
7. Handicap-accessible trips each season
8. ALTweekends - go on a mini ASB trip locally on a weekend!
9. Enforcement of drugs & alcohol free policy
10. Everyone goes through the same application process - equal opportunities for all!
11. No flights are involved; we rent vans from Enterprise for each trip & everybody road trips across the country!

Still not convinced? Come hang out with us at an info night or check our Tumblr blog and see what people have said about their trips!

This FAQ section is a great place to start! If you can't find answers to your questions here, then email your questions to illinoisasb@illinoisasb.org and we will see to it that they get answered within a couple of days!

Despite the organization's name, ASB sends U of I students on nationwide service trips four times throughout the year during their fall, winter, spring, and summer breaks! We are currently working on sending our fall/winter trips & trip dates are:
Fall trips - Friday 11/18 to Wednesday 11/23
Winter trips - Friday 1/6 to Sunday 1/15

The departure/return dates vary from trip to trip & are decided by trip participants. Please use these dates as guidelines and be aware that some trips may leave later and/or return sooner.

All trip participants must submit an application online. To apply, select a season on the on the navigation bar on the left and then click "Apply" and follow the instructions.

We usually send 3-4 trips in the fall, 8-10 in the winter, 12-15 in the spring, and 3-4 in the summer. The number of trips sent each year varies and is decided by the Planning Board of the current school year.

The ASB Planning Board has 3 beautiful ladies, Anna, Francine, and Grace, as its Site Development Chairs. They are responsible for researching, contacting, and building relationships with organizations nationwide to set up trips for ASB to send throughout the year. They explore a wide variety of social justice and environmental issues to ensure diversity in ASB's trip issues. ASB works with mostly non-profit organizations.

Is there an issue/organization you are passionate about and would like to see an ASB trip sent there? Email site_development@illinoisasb.org to share your ideas! We are always looking to build new relationships & we appreciate your input!

Most trips have 13-14 participants; however, we sometimes send half trips which only have a maximum of 7 participants.

We cannot guarantee that you will be placed on the same trip because all applications are reviewed and scored anonymously. Consider going on a trip without your best friend/roommate/boyfriend/girlfriend/brother/sister!

All participants must submit an application online; applications are reviewed and scored anonymously (each application is assigned to a number) by ASB Planning Board members using a grading rubric. Once applications have been reviewed and scored, applicants are placed on trips based on their scores. The higher an applicant scores, the more likely he/she will be placed on his/her first choice trip. Applicants who submit their applications by the first deadline will also be more likely to be placed on their preferred trips. However, if you don't get to go on your first choice trip, don't be upset! All ASB trips are amazing and you will most likely have fun regardless of which trip you go on! Be open-minded & try new things, it's all part of the experience!

The ASB Planning Board will take approximately 1-2 weeks after the deadline to review and process all applications. You will receive an email notification within that time frame with your placement results! If you don't get an email within 1-2 weeks, make sure you email Leslie & Ruth at co_directors@illinoisasb.org to follow up!

Yes, definitely! Be sure to fill out ALL the fields. Although we rarely have to contact trip participants' parents or use their medical information on their trips, we must have this information in case of emergencies. Applicants who do not fill out all fields will NOT be able to go on their trips even if they have already been placed.

Trip participants who are 21 or older with valid drivers' licenses who applied to be drivers can drive the vans on ASB trips. Trip participants who are 21 or older with valid drivers' licenses who did not apply to be drivers cannot drive the vans on trips.

The application process is the same for drivers, general trip participants, and trip facilitators (TFs). The only difference is that, if you wish you be a driver, you must check a box in your application to indicate that you are 21 or over with a valid driver's license and you must provide ASB with a copy of your driver's license. If you are not 21 by the application deadline but you will be 21 by the time you leave for your trip, you can still apply to be a driver. If this is the case, you must email Leslie & Ruth at co_directors@illinoisasb.org to inform them of this. Check out Question #2 to see how to apply for a trip

If you are 21 or over with a valid international driver's license in English, yes you can!

A Trip Facilitator is a trip participant with a leadership role and more responsibilities than the rest of the participants on a trip. Each trip has 2 trip facilitators who are responsible for acting as the primary liaison between trip participants and the organization/site with which they will volunteer during their trip. Trip facilitators are also responsible for attending weekly training sessions alongside other trip facilitators for that trip season from the time they are selected until the week they leave prior to leaving for their trips. Trip facilitators schedule and run weekly trip meetings, answer all questions raised by fellow trip participants, help to plan pre and post-break activities, and facilitate group cohesion before and during their trips. Email trip_fac_trainers@illinoisasb.org if you have more questions!

You are! We welcome anyone and everyone who wishes to be more involved than just going on trips to apply to be a trip facilitator! Freshmen, first-time ASBers, graduate students, ASB veterans, graduating seniors, exchange students, you name it! All currently registered U of I students can apply for this position! Once selected, our fantastic Trip Facilitator Trainers will provide all the training you need to do well in this position while having lots and lots of fun!

The application process is the same for drivers, general trip participants, and trip facilitators (TFs). The only difference is that, if you wish you be a trip facilitator, you must write two more short answer essays in your application and have an interview with our Trip Facilitator Trainers. Check out Question #2 to see how to apply for a trip!

ASB trip fees vary from year to year, but winter, spring, and summer trips usually cost $300-325 and fall trips usually cost $275-300. All trip facilitators and drivers receive a $50 discount. Trip facilitators who are also drivers will only receive one $50 discount.

The trip fee covers expenses for car rental, gas, housing, food, and any administrative fees (eg. background checks) for the duration of the trip. The total trip fee also includes a $75 non-refundable deposit that must be submitted with your application in order for it to be reviewed.

We request that you submit a $75 non-refundable deposit to verify that you are serious about and committed to going on your ASB trip. We do this because we are a completely student-run non-profit organization and we simply do not have enough funds to accommodate or entertain applicants who are uncommitted and drop out at the last minute. Participant drops, especially driver drops, cause a lot of problems for ASB because it means that we have to find replacements for them which is often difficult to do right before trips leave.

Yes, we sure do! ASB has a Maria Somma Scholarship program that grants thousands of dollars of scholarship money to trip participants each year!

There is a page in the online application where you can request for Maria Somma scholarship money. Please fill in all fields and explain your financial circumstance to the best of your abilities and we will consider your request. The scholarship may range from partial coverage up to the total cost of the trip. If you request for a sum of money with no written explanation, you will not be granted any scholarship money.

Just as all currently registered U of I students can apply to go on trips, they can also apply for scholarship money!

No, there is no restriction as to the amount of money for which you can request.

We do not usually grant refunds except for extenuating circumstances. In such cases, you must write to Leslie & Ruth at co_directors@illinoisasb.org as early as possible to fully explain the situation. Your request will then be presented to the ASB Planning Board and voted on. You will hear back from Leslie & Ruth within 1-2 weeks of your request. To avoid this from happening, please double check your schedule and other commitments before submitting your application.