Spring 2016 Middlebury Alternative Break Participant Application
Application due date: Sunday, February 21st, 2016.
Submit applications to MAlt via email to middalt@middlebury.edu.
What is MAlt?
MAlt is Middlebury’s alternative break program. Each year, students design and lead trips
during the February, fall and spring breaks. MAlt aims to engage Middlebury students with
communities across the globe in order to share an experience, provide service where service is
needed, and learn about the systems that shape and connect diverse community realities.
Trip Participant Fee: $30
With additional support from the MAlt budget, the $30 fee covers all trip expenses including
transportation, lodging, food, and activity expenses associated with this trip.
MAlt is offering two spring break trips in March 2016!
Community and Women’s Development Mini-MAlt Trip Description
Destination: Burlington, VT
Dates: March 26 – 28, 2016
Learn about the lives, strengths, and challenges of women in Vermont. Working with – and
learning from – local nonprofits, participants will explore connections between gender,
privilege and poverty, and social justice Questions? Contact middalt@middlebury.edu.
Language in Motion Mini-MAlt Trip Description
Destination: Lake Region Union High School (Orleans, VT)
Dates: March 29-March 31, 2016
Language in Motion (LiM) is an educational collaboration that connects Middlebury’s
international, study abroad, and upper level language students with Vermont high school and
middle school teachers, students, and classrooms. With support and training, Middlebury
College students prepare and deliver lessons that promote global awareness, cultural
competence, and world language acquisition. Presentations are designed to support the host
teacher’s learning objectives and to “meet secondary students where they are.”
This collaborative trip is a MAlt trip with a LiM theme. Trip participants will travel to the
Northeast Kingdom town of Orleans, Vermont. Students will present, LiM-style, in the public
high school and interact with the community through community service and engagement with
local service workers.
Questions? Contact: Contact Anna Parker (aparker@middlebury.edu) or Kristen Mullins
(kmullins@middlebury.edu)
Spring 2016 Middlebury Alternative Break Participant Application
Name
Cell
MAlt is offering two spring break trips in March 2016! Please rank the trips you are interested
in: “1” for your first choice, “2” for your second choice. If you are only interested in one trip
simply write “1” next to that trip.
Women’s Empowerment Trip, Burlington, VT, March 26 – 28, 2016
Language in Motion Trip, Lake Region Union High School (Orleans, VT), March 2931, 2016
**If you are interested in this MAlt trip, you need to fill out additional questions at the end
of the application**
I would like to apply to participate in both trips
Please indicate your age, year of graduation, gender, if you are an international student, and
whether you’ve been on a MAlt trip before (if so, specify which one).
We are still seeking co-leaders for both trips! Self-identify whether you would like to be
considered solely as a participant or as both a participant & a leader:
Participant
Participant & Co-Leader
Leader responsibilities include organizing pre-trip meetings with all participants; being in
communication with the MAlt Exec Board and Ashley Laux (MAlt advisor) about trip logistics; and
overseeing the itinerary of the trip.
Why are you interested in attending this trip?
What qualities, skills, and experience do you possess that would help you contribute to a
successful MAlt trip?
Please put an X next to the equipment that you own:
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Hiking backpack
[Gear will be borrowed from the Mountain Club for participants who need any of these items]
Please indicate whether you have a 15-passenger van license (from Middlebury) and might be
willing to drive
____Yes
____No
____No, but I would be willing to get a license before Spring break
Please carefully read all statements below, consider them seriously, and sign to indicate your
agreement.
Commitment: If I am chosen to be a participant, by signing below I commit to attending at least
one orientation MAlt meeting leading up to Spring Break (there are additional training
commitments for the Language in Motion trip).
Alcohol/Drug-Free Policy: MAlt is an alcohol- and drug-free program. MAlt adheres to this
strict policy in order to achieve the program’s community service goals and to ensure the safety
and well-being of all participants. As such, students are not to possess and/or consume
alcoholic beverages and/or illegal drugs while participating on MAlt trips. Should this policy
be violated, the participant will be asked to leave the trip and will be responsible for arranging
and funding his/her return travel. By signing below, I agree with this policy and will adhere to
it without exception.
Non-Refundable Payment Policy: All students accepted to a mini-MAlt trip must make a
payment of $30 Friday, March 4, 2016. This payment will not be refunded. By signing below, I
signify that I understand the MAlt non-refundable payment policy. If the payment presents a
significant financial hardship, please contact Ashley Laux, Community Engagement
(alaux@middlebury.edu) for information on financial aid. (Electronic signature accepted)
Signature: __________________________________
Date: ___________________
Submit this application to middalt@middlebury.edu by Sunday, February 21, 2016.
Additional Application Questions for the LiM Mini-MAlt Trip
Destination: Lake Region Union High School (Orleans, VT)
Dates: March 29-March 31, 2016
Name
Cell
To help us in our planning with Lake Region Union High School teachers, please review the
list of possible presentation topics below and mark all those you would be interested in coleading – then briefly describe how your experience, skills, and/or interests might be
relevant to the topic. Please note: there is space below for new ideas, too!
LiM Mini-MAlt participants will be asked to lead specific presentations based on their stated interests,
skills, and experience - and the topics that our partnering teachers request.
1. _____ A Day in the Life of a [Spanish-speaking country] College Student
Students across the world have very different life experiences depending on where they live.
Presenters will discuss (in English or Spanish) an aspect(s) of college students’ lives in a
Spanish-speaking country that they have spent time in, incorporating concepts related to
Hispanic language or cultures. They will introduce how family, school, social life, or a
particular trait impacts daily life.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. _____ A Day in the Life of a [French-speaking country] College Student
Students across the world have very different life experiences depending on where they live.
Presenters will discuss (in English or French) an aspect(s) of college students’ lives in a Frenchspeaking country that they have spent time in, incorporating concepts from francophone
language or cultures. They will introduce how family, school, social life, or a particular trait
impacts daily life.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. _____ Teenagers (& Education) in Different Countries
Young people across the world have very different life experiences depending on where they
live. Presenters will discuss aspects of teenagers’ lives or education in a country they have spent
time in. Students will recognize similarities and differences between young people’s
experiences and think about the implications of those differences.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. _____ Community Involvement & Citizenship
What does it mean to be part of a community? Presenters will discuss why one’s culture or
nationality is important to individuals or why it is important to contribute to your community.
Presenters will focus on a specific place, age-group, community, or personal experience and can
focus on a specific theme relevant to the curriculum.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. _____ [Country Name]: Beyond [well-known icon] and [well-known icon]
For example, “The United States: Beyond McDonalds and guns”
We frequently shape our understanding of countries and cultures by only what hits the news or
appears in pop culture. Presenters will introduce a specific country or culture and expand on an
aspect of that country, highlighting cultural differences, similarities, and intercultural
understanding.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6. _____ Cultural Relativity – or “Why I Don’t Use the Word Weird” anymore.
Our background and culture shape our expectations of what is normal. The student will share
how their experiences and encounters with (a) different culture(s) shaped their understanding
of cultural customs or concepts. Presenters will describe why it is important to recognize and
respect other perspectives on a given issue.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. _____ The Global Environmental – Issues & Projects
Environmental science is global, but many environmental issues have dire local consequences.
Presenters will draw on an issue area they have knowledge on and a place they have spent time
in. They will discuss how an environmental issue or project relates to a different country(ies),
cultural concept, or cultural differences.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. _____ International Community Service
There are many ways to get involved in communities and international issues both from at
home and abroad. Presenters will discuss their own experiences doing community service
abroad or working on an international issue at home. Key takeaways will include the
importance of being involved in your community, getting out of your comfort zone, and being
global citizens.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9. _____ Stereotypes
What are stereotypes, and how do they build walls between people? Presenters will discuss
why stereotypes appear, how they hurt people, and why we should recognize individual
differences over false block categories. They may draw on personal experiences or cultures and
countries in which they have spent time.
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
(Optional)
10. _____ [New Topic Idea Title]:
Description:
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
(Optional)
11.
_____ [New Topic Idea Title]:
Description:
Relevant experience, skills, and/or interests: _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for your application! We look forward to reading it.
You will receive an e-mail by February 29th as to whether you have been selected as a participant.