STEAM Alternative Spring Break
What is STEAM Alternative Spring Break (ASB)?
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a quarter-long program where students take a preparatory winter quarter seminar (SSc credit eligible) to learn about inclusive teaching pedagogies and then spend the week of UW's Spring Break (March 21 - March 26, 2027) running culturally relevant & sustaining STEAM outreach programming (in teams of 3-5 UW students) with 3rd- to 12th-grade students in rural and Tribal communities across Washington State. During the spring break week, students also explore the communities they are placed in by engaging in hikes, museum visits, beach days, afterschool clubs and community cultural events.
What Schools Do We Work With?
Map of planned STEAM ASB 2027 school partners & community organizations.
What Will You Learn?
Through the winter quarter preparatory seminar, ASB Mentors will learn about inclusive teaching pedagogies such as culturally relevant & sustaining pedagogy, gender-responsive teaching, and universal design for learning. They will then apply these frameworks and practices to their team's STEAM lesson plan.
What STEAM Topics Would You Teach?
Lesson plan topics will be determined by grant and community partner priorities. Past topics have included:
- Earth Science
- Robotics & Coding
- Rockets & Engineering
- Clean Energy
- Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE)
- Biology/Health Sciences
- Electrical Engineering
How to Get Involved
Join the Riverways Student Opportunities mailing list to be notified when the ASB application opens.
JOIN THE RIVERWAYS MAILING LIST
Questions?
If you have more questions please feel free to contact the Riverways team for more information.
The Alternative Spring Break program is made possible through the generous support of Northwest Earth and Space Sciences Pathways.
At A Glance
- Time Commitment: Winter quarter course + UW spring break week (Sunday–Friday).
- Credit & Compensation: ASB Mentors receive course credit through EDUC 401. ASB Team Leaders receive an AmeriCorps education award.
- Application: Required.
- Preparation: Weekly EDUC 401 seminar, team meetings, and lesson plan development with your team.
- Location: You will be assigned to one of our partner sites.
- Travel: Required; transportation, lodging, and sustenance are covered by Riverways.
Why should you join STEAM ASB?
We could give you a million reasons why you should join STEAM ASB. But don’t take our word for it. Take it from past facilitators, student participants, and their parents.
“There was one girl who was very quiet. After the second day, the teacher heard from the girl’s parents that the student could not stop telling them about all the activities because she was so excited about them!”
—UW ASB Mentor
“You all need to become teachers so you can come back soon!”
—8th-grade student
“I just want you all to know that you are remarkable. I watched how you were with our kids all day, and you were really skilled at it — I loved seeing them so engaged! I just want to say thank you for doing this with us.”
—Father of a CASE ASB student
JOIN CASE!
Are you looking for a longer-term opportunity?
Join a three-quarter long program where you can work more closely with Yakama Nation, Quileute Tribe, or Makah Nation partner communities throughout the academic year.