What is the Alternative Service Break program?

The Alternative Service Break (ASB) program is a unique, high-impact learning experience in which students engage in direct service to a community while being immersed in the culture. Teams are led by student Team Leaders and accompanied by faculty or staff Advisors. Each team spends extensive time prior to travel doing team-building, planning for their experience, and studying the scope of their impact in the communities they will engage with.

Throughout their travels, team members participate in a variety of cultural, educational, recreational, and reflective activities to enhance their service experience. During our academic breaks (Fall, Winter, Spring, and May), our student groups serve in North Carolina, across the United States, and around the world. Teams sponsored by Student Leadership and Engagement and other campus partners focus on various community issues, including water quality and sanitation, affordable housing, youth education and empowerment, medical clinics, STEM education, housing revitalization, and ecotourism.

Program Goals of ASB

1. To help develop and enhance a value for public service and civic engagement among students.
2. To provide the opportunity for cultural immersion and exploration of political and economic systems.
3. To help students explore beyond their own lived experiences.
4. To provide opportunities for students to reflect on their roles in a global community.
5. To provide an opportunity to interact with new individuals and communities and practice communicating in another language and place.
6. To help students identify ways to apply what they learned to their own communities.

Application Timelines

ASB Experiences	Deadline for Trip & Travel Award Applications	Trip Application	Travel Award
Fall Break 2025	September 5, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.	Application Closed	Application Closed
Winter Break 2025	September 5, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.	Application Closed	Application Closed
Spring Break 2026	October 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.	Application Closed	Application Closed
May Break 2026	January 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.	Application Closed	Application Closed

Concerned about Paying for an ASB Experience?

Student Leadership and Engagement desires to make every effort to remove barriers to students being able to participate in an Alternative Service Break Experience, and there are several avenues through which financial barriers can be managed appropriately:

• Travel Awards
  Student Leadership and Engagement has offered limited travel awards to students via an application process. These awards are designed to offset the overall cost of an Alternative Service Break experience. Application deadlines and links are above.
• College of Engineering Students
  COE Program Enhancement Fee-paying students whose majors are part of the College of Engineering may have the opportunity to receive some financial support for the transportation expenses portion of their ASB experience cost, depending on funding availability.
• Still concerned about how to pay?
  Please contact us directly if you are still concerned or have questions about paying for Alternative Service Break experiences.

Passport and International Services

NC State University has its own Passport Fair right on campus! If you are in need of applying for, updating, or have questions regarding your passport for international travel, use the links below to assist in preparation for your ASB experience.

• Passport Resources from NC State
• NC State Passport Fairs
• Find Passport Services on Google Maps

For international students considering an ASB experience, please be sure to consult with the Office of International Services and/or your respective embassy to ensure all documentation and permissions are in order prior to your commitment. All international students are responsible for being aware of the implications of traveling outside the United States while on their visa status.

• Office of International Services
• Find the Office of International Services on Google Maps

Participant Resources

• The Active Citizen Continuum is a model developed by Break Away, a national nonprofit, to display the stages of involvement in development and service work, from ‘Member’ to ‘Active Citizen.’
• All ASB participants are educated through a classroom-style cohort in preparation for their experience. The Team Participant Manual outlines each step of important information for all travelers.
• ASB participants take the CliftonStrengths assessment, a survey developed by Gallup designed to provide a language to discover, discuss, and activate one’s talents. Our office has two certified coaches to assist with digesting the assessment results, what they mean, and how they’re applied.

Questions?