Founded in 1991, Mizzou Alternative Breaks (MAB) sends groups of students on service trips during weekend, Thanksgiving, winter, spring, and summer breaks. Each year, more than 1,500 Mizzou students spend their weekends or academic breaks serving through MAB. This makes MAB the largest alternative breaks program in the nation- something we are proud of as it shows how committed Mizzou students are to giving back to other communities.
Participants enter communities with the mindset of “Serve, don’t help,” one of the program’s guiding principles. During these trips, students learn about the communities they are visiting, the issues they are working with and their fellow classmates. Ninety-one percent of 2018-2019 participants said their trip helped them come to a greater understanding of the social issue being addressed by the trip, and 94 percent said their trip influenced their desire to participate in service or advocacy locally.
In an effort to make these life-changing service experience financially accessible for all students, we are prioritizing scholarships to reduce the cost for students with financial need. Each year, more than 350 students request scholarships from MAB in order to participate. We currently are only able to provide alternative break scholarships to 65% of the students who need them. Our needs-based scholarship fund makes these service experiences possible for all Tigers. Thank you for supporting Mizzou Alternative Breaks Scholarship Fund and making this service experience possible for more Mizzou students!