Johnson State University: Why did we choose Mid Atlantic Border Collie Rescue?

Why did we choose Mid Atlantic Border Collie Rescue?

We choose this site because after hearing stories about Sarah and experiences had by Break Away staff it sounded like an amazing, motivating and engaging organization that could offer a truly incredible alternative break experience. Animal Advocacy was the social issue chosen because of the lack of awareness but dire need for it. Mid Atlantic Border Collie Rescue seemed like a great fit for this social issue because of the passion behind it and people involved with it. Dogs seemed to be a good animal to focus on because just about everyone can recall a special pup or make a personal connection with this species.

Group Excitements/Hopes:

Participant 1: I hope to gain a better understanding of the animal advocacy issue and Border Collie breed. I feel like it is an important issue that I don’t quite know how to explain its importance to others. I am excited for lambs, group bonding, playing with dogs, exploring the farm, leaning more about this issue and breed of dog.

Participant 2: My biggest passion in life is helping animals; especially dogs. I am so excited to get to play with the dogs and whatever other animals are there at the farm. I also really hope that we get to help birth lambs. I cannot wait to meet Sarah and all of the dogs and love them.

Participant 3: I am excited for helping out on the farm, taking care of dogs for a week and getting a small taste of Maryland.

Participant 4: I am excited for learning more about how to properly take care of dogs, helping out outside my normal grounds, going somewhere to meet new people, and to try new things like helping to birth lambs.

Participant 5: I am excited to learn more about an play with the border collie! I am excited to learn more about and play with Border Collies. I am excited to learn more about the program you run (MABCR). I am excited to see lambs, I am also very excited to experience life on a big farm and go to Maryland.

Participant 6: I am excited for lambing, walking Border Collies, living on a farm, visiting Maryland, exploring the area, making a difference and helping out, and learning new skills.

Participant 7: I am excited to work with the dogs …I love dogs! I am excited to learn more about how we can help with animal advocacy and programs that focus on it.

Participant 8: I hope to learn more about animal advocacy and the animal rights movement in general. I am excited to possibly birth and take care of baby lambs (SO COOL!) I am excited to meet the beautiful Border Collies. I hope and want to receive information from Sarah and other community members we meet on how to take care of this issue and bring it back home.

Participant 9: I am excited for being able to enjoy a new experience somewhere I’ve never been before. Also I am excited to be able to help out with the dogs and help a good cause like Mid Atlantic Border Collie Rescue. Another thing I am excited for os learning new things and challenging myself to do things that I have never done before.

Participant 10: I am excited to make a difference, help something wild that has become helpless in current environments, entertain and be entertained by the dogs, and build a relationship with like minded individuals.

Break Away: Johnson State College Badger Alternative Breaks

Editor's note: Many of you have asked for information regarding our Break Program, so we have asked our groups to write up information on their programs, and why they chose MABCR. That post will follow tomorrow. Break weeks begin tomorrow. If you are interested in joining us for work days or social time, please contact me privately at SLR@mabcr.org.

History:

Johnson State College Badger Alternative Break formally known as Break Away was founded in 1991 shortly after the national Break Away program was founded. In the last 23 years our program has sent out over one hundred alternative break experiences across the nation and globe. We have focused on a variety of social issues including urban poverty, clean water access, animal advocacy, rural poverty, environmental sustainability and more. Our program was one of the founding schools of national Break Away.

Badger Alt Breaks (B-AB) is run out of the Johnson State College SERVE Office which is the home of community service opportunities on our campus.  From the SERVE Office we offer many programs including three mentoring programs, one local service opportunities, blood drives, drop and swaps, and various other service programs.

Funding:

B-AB is completely self-funded and our participants work very hard to fundraise every penny of their trip budgets. Budgets generally run at $5,000 for domestic trips and $10,000 for international ones. The only out of pocket cost (hopefully) is a $50 deposit that participants are required to make at the beginning of the year.

Throughout the year B-AB runs program wide fundraisers such as letter writing campaign, Rent-a-Breaker, Badger Alt Break Swag and chocolate bar sales. Individually groups run fundraisers such as comedic beauty pageants, date auctions, Valentine’s Day flower sales, and many others. In the past our program receives a small donation from student government but due to budget cuts that is no longer a funding resource.

If at the end of the program year (we end the first week of April, but budgets are due the first week of March) the remaining budget is split up equally between group members and charged to student accounts. This is a rare occurrence, but when it does happen it is generally a small amount and not too overwhelming.

Staffing:

Badger Alternative Breaks is completely student run and operated. The staffing is as follows…

Co-Chairs run the program in the sense that we directly supervise the site leaders and our supervisor oversees co-chairs. We run all meetings, events and other needs of the site leaders. Trips are designed and planned by co-chairs (although in the past and possibly future we are going back to having site leaders plan experiences) Program wide fundraisers are run by co-chairs with assistance from site leaders. Site leaders are responsible for facilitating their group meetings and any individualized events or fundraisers.

Trips:

Each year we send out between three and five different alternative breaks, it only depends on how many site leader applicants we have and how much interest in the program there is. In the past we’ve run one international experience a year, with the other two or three or four being domestic experiences.  Sites and host organizations are chosen by co-chairs with the interests of site leaders being heavily taken into consideration

JSC:

Johnson State is a small, rural libral arts school on the top of a hill in a very small town of Johnson, VT. There are about 1,800 students total with about 600 on campus. Many students choose JSC because it is nestled between three large mountains, and close to many home.