BreakAways

Upcoming BreakAways

2025 BREAKAWAYS

The application deadline is November 1, 2024
Remember, ALL IC students can receive a one-time $1,000 BreakAway coupon for a trip of your choice.
If you are applying for an international BreakAway, you need a valid passport. If you don't have a passport, you need to apply for a passport (or renew one that expires before December 2025) by November 1, 2024.
There are also some additional funding sources for students who travel to a country where the language is spoken that they are studying or where strong financial need is demonstrated. Those awards are usually $500 or less. HOWEVER, there is one BreakAway award (The William Curry Award) of almost $2,000! Qualifications: never traveled outside of the U.S. and demonstrated financial need. See the cost section below for more information and the link to the funding application.
Also remember to leave room in your spring semester course schedule for one academic credit associated with the BreakAway course!

Freedom Rides: The Social Justice Marathon Continues...

March 1-8, 2025

Led by Professors Brittney Yancy and Erin Studer

Immerse yourself in a week-long experience that retraces a portion of the 1961 Freedom Rides and explores historical sites relating to the Black Freedom Movement. From Atlanta and Selma, come immerse yourself in the civil rights tradition–a student roundtable at Spelman College, touring the King Center and the 16th Street Baptist Church, and marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Engage in a community memorial project with the Equal Justice Initiative that brings together historical memory, criminal justice, and human rights. We plan to l foster self-care practices and provide time for reflection on the role of radical self-care in freedom work. This breakaway is an awakening for all who want to make meaningful change, experience personal transformation, and cultivate a sense of community.

Credit: 1 credit course in spring semester

Cost: $1,990 ($990 if using your one-time BreakAway "coupon")

Payment Schedule

$500 by December 5, 2024
$1,490 on your spring semester invoice ($490 due if using College BreakAway coupon)

Euroquest

May 12 - 26, 2025

Led by Professors Marilyn Markel and Katie Patillo

EuroQuest, a transformative BreakAway experience designed to explore the interplay of wealth, aesthetics, and urban planning across Amsterdam, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest. EuroQuest offers students a unique opportunity to delve into the cultural depths of each city, fostering personal growth, intercultural competence, and a deeper understanding of the world beyond our campus borders.

Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands; Vienna, Austria; Prague, the Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary

Credit: 1 credit course in spring semester

Cost: $3,600 ($2,600 with one-time BreakAway "coupon")

Payment Schedule

$500 deposit by December 5, 2024
$3,100 placed on your spring semester invoice ($2,100 if using College BreakAway coupon)

Ethics of Innovation and Discovery:

Just Because We Can, Should We?

May 13-26, 2025

Led by Professor Clayton Spencer and Josiah Kunz

Travel to sites in Germany (Bavaria) and Switzerland as we consider the intersection of values and ethics with the human process of innovation, creation, and discovery. We will travel to Geneva and Lucerne, Switzerland, and then on to Munich and Garmisch, Germany. While exploring our theme, we will tour the particle collider site at CERN, the opulent castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof created by King Ludwig II, sites connected to the long history of beer brewing in Munich, a BMW factory, and the dark and tragic history at the site of the WWII concentration camp, Dachau.

Locations: Geneva and Lucerne, Switzerland; Munich and Fuessen, Germany (flying in and out of Paris, France)

Credit: 1 credit course in spring semester

Cost: $3,500 ($2,500 if using one-time BreakAway "coupon")

Payment Schedule:

$500 by December 5, 2024
$3,000 placed on your spring semester invoice ($2,000 if using College BreakAway coupon)

Scottish Stories

May 12-22, 2025

Led by Professor Jackie Tabor and McKenna Jacquemot

Scotland’s rich culture and gorgeous landscapes makes it a destination that seems to have it all; as such, it continues to inspire countless stories. As we travel through Scotland, from the medieval architecture of Edinburgh to the misty lochs to the breathtaking landscapes of the Northern isles, we will learn how Scottish society, fiction, and folklore contribute to our overall understanding of the stories we tell about ourselves and history. Enjoy the intrigue of Scottish 18th century politics by touring several centuries-old castles while exploring locations such as Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, and Inverness that simultaneously depict the mystery of ancient celtic folktales while also creating a new story about what it means to be Scottish in the modern age. Finally, we will learn why Scotland’s push to secede from England continues after centuries of political conflict, suggesting that Scottish stories are far from over.

Locations: Edinburgh, Inverness, Glencoe, Loch Ness, Isle of Skye

Credit: 1 credit hour spring semester

Cost: $3,200 ($2,200 if using one-time BreakAway "coupon")

Payment Schedule:

$500 by December 5, 2024
$2,700 added to spring semester invoice ($1,700 if using College BreakAway coupon)

A Spanish Way of Life

May 13 - 22, 2025

Led by Professor Allison Burrus and Lauren Hayes

A Spanish Way of Life will immerse students in the Spanish culture in Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, and Bilbao. Experience the people, traditions, histories, and foods of Spain. In addition to visiting historical museums, street markets, cultural events, and other notable areas of interest, the trip includes a tour of the Mondragon Cooperative, a unique community blending work and life, and an international John Deere facility.

Locations: Barcelona, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Madrid

Credit: 1 credit course spring semester

Cost: $3,100 ($2,100 if using one-time BreakAway "coupon")

Payment Schedule:

$500 by December 5, 2024
$2,600 added to your spring semester invoice ($1,600 if using College BreakAway coupon)

How to Apply

Interested in going on a BreakAway? Go to the Study Abroad app on the SSO page and in the Explore Programs page, select the "Faculty/Teacher led" option in the Program Type filter. This will bring up all the BreakAways being offered. You can then click on the ones you are interested in to find out more about that BreakAway. You can look at the course information, travel itinerary, and cost. Once you decide which one you are interested in, you can click the "Apply Now" button. After applying for a BreakAway, it will give you the option to select a second choice without completing a second application.

Three items that are required to complete a BreakAway application:

An application essay - this is your opportunity to tell the leaders why you are interested in this BreakAway - it can be an academic reason (relates well to your major), a professional reason, or a personal reason. Or a combination! In some cases, leaders have more applicants than they can take and they will use the essay to determine who to select for their program.
Proof of a passport or passport application (for international BreakAways) or of a valid state ID (for domestic BreakAways).
Conduct reference from Student Life - you need to list reslife@ic.edu. If you have had serious conduct issues, it could prevent you from being able to participate in a BreakAway program.

If you need to apply for a passport (or renew your passport - please renew if your passport will expire within six months of your travel dates), this is what you need to do:

(1) Visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/apply-in-person.html

(2) If this is your first ever passport, you must apply in person and provide proof of citizenship, which is normally your birth certificate. Locally, the only place you can apply is at the Morgan County Courthouse in downtown Jacksonville during week day work hours.

Funding a BreakAway

Illinois College provides every student with a $1,000 grant (think of it like a "coupon"!) to use for one BreakAway trip because the College believes that these experiences are valuable for helping students gain a broader global perspective. To claim this "coupon", there is a box to select on the BreakAway application itself. You do NOT need to complete the funding application below to receive the BreakAway "coupon".

We understand that the remaining cost, which can range from $1,000 - $3,000 depending on the location and length of trip, is still a financial challenge. There is additional funding for students who demonstrate financial need (based on information from SFS). The Curry International BreakAway Award may cover the full cost of a BreakAway. All students who apply for additional funding will be considered for the Curry Award (only one student per year selected). Those not selected for the Curry award will be considered for up to $500 of additional aid based on either (1) financial need as verified by SFS or (2) language study if traveling to a destination where that language is studied. Students may apply for additional funding for a BreakAway using the link below. The application deadline is November 1st.

2024-25 Graduate READY Experiential Learning Funding Application

Please note the following when completing the application

(1) If you are taking a language class in a language that is spoken in one of the countries you are visiting, you may be able to receive a language stipend of up to $500. Make sure to check the box indicating this on the funding application.

(2) If you are applying for funding based on financial need, in your application essay, make sure to include the following

Explanation of financial need - state how much you need to make this experience possible and how you plan to pay the remaining cost. Do not expect to receive funds to cover the full cost of the BreakAway.

For both reasons (language study or financial need), you should explain why you think this particular BreakAway experience will complement your area of study or help you grow as an individual.

If you have any questions regarding the application or what to include in your essay, please contact us in the Office of Global Programming. We are here to assist you!

For Faculty- BreakAway Proposals and Policies

Mission and Overview

The BreakAway program is an academic program that "offers students the opportunity to explore the nation and the world through brief educational travel experiences" (IC Faculty, 14 October 2002).

Illinois College typically offers four-five BreakAways each year during academic breaks - semester break, spring break, or the start of summer break. BreakAways can be either domestic or international and range from one to three weeks in duration. Students receive 1-3 hours of academic credit, depending on the course content and length of the BreakAway.

Proposing a BreakAway

To propose a BreakAway for the subsequent academic year (August - July), faculty should complete the BreakAway Proposal form and submit it along with the materials listed below by March 15th.

an explanation of the specific learning objectives of the BreakAway proposed and how those will be assessed. Please also explain (with specific examples when possible) how this trip will fulfill each of the above stated overall learning objectives of the BreakAway Program; (see Section Four for additional information)
a description of the BreakAway, including a detailed timetable/itinerary (If applicable, indicate how many miles of walking, biking, etc. will be covered each day.)
details on the pre-travel course, including student assignments, such as readings, activities, papers, etc. (Note: If this BreakAway is approved, you will be asked to submit a syllabus.)

Decisions by the SABA committee will be announced by April 1st.

Please see the full BreakAway Policies document for additional information on Faculty Leaders Eligibility, Proposal Selection Criteria, Leader responsibilities and compensation, and other important considerations.