How do we forge lasting community for students who only visit campus to attend class? Community engagement professionals often focus on the intended social justice outcomes of alternative breaks, but how much more should we focus on student community-building as a mechanism for continued community engagement? Alternative breaks are often missed opportunities for sustained community among trip participants and leaders. This session will demonstrate how carefully structured alternative break trips have served as effective community building interventions at a university with 86% commuter students. Participants will gain insights into the pedagogical framework used to develop essential student competencies. Attendees will leave with a replicable model for leveraging high-impact community engagement to meet institutional goals for student success and community integration.