MEDICI PROJECT PRESENTS:
ATLANTA ALTERNATIVE BREAKS
ALTERNATIVE BREAKS Medici Project began Alternative Breaks to educate and expose individuals to the terrible realities of poverty for Atlanta’s inner city and what is being done to fight against that poverty. WE... Provide the opportunity for individuals to serve with Medici Project and other organizations Seek to make a difference in the lives of impoverished individuals Work full time to support individuals throughout the year
EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS Medici Project's Alternative Spring Breaks are educationally service based. Through service opportunities and educational conversations, students are able to learn about some of the following issues:
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Framework of Poverty Urban Youth Social Entrepreneurship HIV/Aids
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Racial Division MLK Center Urban Education Journaling / Reflecting
THE ISSUES Poverty is often mistakenly defined in economic terms, as an inability to meet physical needs. Providing the physical needs for those who cannot is important, but in doing so, we are only treating the symptoms of poverty. It is actually a lack of educational opportunities, and social needs in an individual’s life that is ultimately the root cause of poverty. We cannot begin to combat poverty until we give hope, love, opportunity, and purpose to impoverished individuals. Until we do so, they will just simply exist
THE NEED The City of Atlanta has one of the highest rates of children living without these essentials in the country. • It is estimated that nearly 25% of the children and youth who live in Fulton County (Atlanta’s County) are in poverty (US Census Bureau).
The City of Atlanta is also one of the top sex trafficking cities in the country. • It has the highest rate of commercial sex exploitation of children in the nation, where half of all street level prostitutes are under the age of 18.
The 30318 zip code, where Medici Project serves all throughout the year, is one of the neediest areas in the country. • 50% of the youth in this area will not finish high school. • The average household income is just under $11,000 a year, less than 1/3 of the national average. • In one community, 60% of the residents are HIV positive.
WHAT TO EXPECT While in Atlanta, your primary job is to build relationships and service with/to at-risk individuals through personal interaction. You will do hands-on service with Medici Project and other organizations who are seeking to make an impact in the lives of at-risk children, youth and adults, but much of what we do is relational. Expect to be pushed out of your comfort zone as you work face-to-face with the at-risk individuals.
WHAT YOU WILL DO Service Experiences • Homelessness and Lower Income • Urban Education and Tutoring • Nursing Homes and Elderly • Boys and Girls Clubs • Food Banks • Community Clean-Ups • Play Days with Kids
FINANCIALS A $200 group deposit is required with the application to reserve your date. This deposit is nonrefundable and nontransferable. Dates cannot be reserved without the deposit. THE COST FOR AN ALTERNATIVE BREAK IS... $145 - $170 per person for 3 days | $190 - $215 per person for 4 days | $235 - $270 per person for 5 days Depending on package choice, these fees can cover housing, lunch, tshirt, entrance fees, and also to help support Medici Project’s programs
GENERAL INFORMATION Housing: The Lodging Facility offers bunk style separate large rooms for girls and guys. Amenities include showers, commons area for meetings, full kitchen, and cafeteria. Food: We want you to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the city during your trip. Atlanta offers very eclectic options for food through various restaurants. Your group also has the option of purchasing groceries from a local grocery and cooking in the lodging venues’ kitchen.
GENERAL INFORMATION CONT’D Transportation: Transportation to and from Atlanta and while you are in Atlanta is the responsibility of the group. Trip Guide: You will also have at least one Medici Project staff member with you throughout the day. Our staff members have an intimate knowledge of the city and will serve as guides and mentors to your group.
MEDICI PROJECT What if the solution to the current state of our culture came from those who are about to inherit it? We believe in infusing new life into our dying world through a movement birthed and led by the millennial generation, now the largest population group in our nation’s history. To that end Medici Project is creating a movement of cultural renewal fueled by this generation’s inborn desire to impact their communities and world through social good. During the Renaissance when the Medici family cultivated the creativity of artists and scientists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Galileo, they ushered in the greatest rejuvenation of cultural renewal in history. We believe it can happen again, through the cultivation of passion and creativity of the millennial generation.