EXPERIENCE LOCATIONS

January 2008 Locations - International

Nicaragua - January 4-12, 2008

Students will explore the issues of trade from sweatshop labor to fair trade coffee to learn how our consumer decisions impact the people of Central America on a daily basis. The trip takes students to different areas of the impoverished country to meet with farmers, factory workers, professors, church representatives, government officials and more. The experience includes four to five nights of homestays with a Nicaraguan family. Spanish-English translation will be provided, thus there is no language requirement for this experience. Students with minimal or no Spanish skills are encouraged to do some self-study prior to departure. The experience is organized in collaboration with the Center for Global Education (CGE) of Augsburg College. CGE hosts numerous groups from Jesuit Catholic schools. Students will have the opportunity to learn and experience the strong Christian and especially Catholic faith traditions of Nicaragua. The issues of trade will be examined from a perspective of Catholic Social Teaching and other faith and non-faith perspectives.

Partner Organization: Center for Global Education (Augsburg College)
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

January 2008 Locations - Domestic

Immokalee, Florida - January 5-13, 2008

Students will have the opportunity to be immersed in a diverse community of migrant farm workers from Latin America and the Caribbean. Students will serve at local social service centers, learn about injustices facing the migrant farming communities, and meet with organizations advocating and working with migrant farmworkers for just wages and an increased quality of life. The experience is hosted by the Humility of Mary Volunteers program and will include an opportunity to interact with the HM Volunteers' current year long volunteers during the week. The Humility of Mary is an order of Catholic sisters based in Ohio. Participants in the Immokalee experience will have an opportunity to engage in the strong Christian and Catholic cultural experiences through attendance at a Spanish and Hatian mass and other cultural events.

Partner Organization: Center for Global Education (Augsburg College)
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

Nazareth Farm, West Virginia - January 6-12, 2008

Students will have the opportunity to take part in numerous community service projects while learning about the challenges people face in one of the most impoverished regions of our country. There will be opportunities for interaction with children and adults and also chances for basic manual labor. The trip is hosted by Nazareth Farm, a Catholic community of volunteers inspired by the gospels and Social Teachings of the Church and focused on prayer, community, simplicity, and service. 

Partnern Organization: Nazareth Farm
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

New Orleans, Louisiana - January 4-12, 2008

Participants will assist in the continuing efforts to rebuild and restore this devastated region. Activities will include direct service work in clearing debris, rebuilding homes, and landscaping, and may also involve partnering in political advocacy efforts and/or wetlands restoration.

ACADEMIC CREDIT OPTION AVAILABLE
Partner Organization: Social Ministry Office of the New Orleans Jesuit Province
Administrated by: Center for Service and Social Action

 

Spring Break 2008 Locations - Domestic

Baltimore, Maryland - February 23-March 2, 2008

Participants have the opportunity to engage in the realities of hunger in homelessness in inner-city Baltimore. The experience is coordinated by Catholic Charities and provides an opportunity to serve the economically poor of the east coast city while engaging in the relationship between faith and justice. The group will work with Project SERVE volunteers, year long volunteers sponsored by Catholic Charities. The group will volunteer at local soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and various other social service sites.

Partner Organization: Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic Charities
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

Chicago, Illinois - February 22–28, 2008

Participants on this immersion experience will have the opportunity to examine and evaluate Chicago's ambitious "Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness" - through the eyes of Chicago's homeless and the organizations dedicated to helping them. The group will be hosted by Amate House and will engage in direct service activities and educational site visits at local food pantries, clothing distribution sites, shelters, advocacy groups, and social service organizations. Participants in the Cleveland and Chicago immersions will partner for some pre-trip and post-trip meetings and activities, including participation in the Homeless StandDown.

ACADEMIC CREDIT OPTION AVAILABLE
Partner Organization: Amate House
Administrated by: Center for Service and Social Action

Cleveland, Ohio - February 22–28, 2008

Participants on this unique immersion will have the opportunity to explore that remote and foreign experience of living in Cleveland, Ohio - as a homeless person. The group will be hosted by the local chapter of Catholic Worker; activities will include direct service work and educational site visits at local food pantries, clothing distribution sites, shelters, and social service organizations providing assistance to the homeless in our community. Participants in the Cleveland and Chicago immersions will partner for some pre-trip and post-trip meetings and activities, including participation in the Homeless StandDown.

ACADEMIC CREDIT OPTION AVAILABLE
Partner Organization: Catholic Worker Community
Administrated by: Center for Service and Social Action

Glenmary, Kentucky - February 24-March 2, 2008

This retreat-like immersion experience in Eastern Kentucky blends service, education, prayer, reflection and sharing in an environment of simple living. Glenmary Farm is located in Lewis County, one of the poorest counties in Kentucky. Groups will provide service to the local community, while exploring their faith, and developing a stronger sense of social justice.

Partner Organization: Glenmary Farm
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

Immokalee, Florida - February 23–March 3, 2008

Students will have the opportunity to be immersed in a diverse community of migrant farm workers from Latin America and the Caribbean. Students will serve at local social service centers, learn about injustices facing the migrant farming communities, and meet with organizations advocating and working with migrant farmworkers for just wages and an increased quality of life. The experience is hosted by the Humility of Mary Volunteers program and will include an opportunity to interact with the HM Volunteers' current year long volunteers during the week. The Humility of Mary is an order of Catholic sisters based in Ohio. Participants in the Immokalee experience will have an opportunity to engage in the strong Christian and Catholic cultural experiences through attendance at a Spanish and Hatian mass and other cultural events.

Partner Organization: Humility of Mary Volunteers
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

Mt. Vernon, Kentucky - February 24-March 2, 2008

Appalachian Science in the Public Interest (ASPI) is a non-profit resource center advocating for sustainable development, responsible resource management, and informed personal choices. Participants will be serving the environment in a variety of ways while learning how environmental issues are affecting the Appalachian region and the world. Experiences of service and social justice will be focused on the injustice and needs of the earth, instead of people. The group will be challenged to explore the links between spirituality and being good environmental stewards.

Partner Organization: Appalachia -- Science in the Public Interest
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

Louisville, Kentucky - February 24-March 3, 2008

Students will have the opportunity to learn about the harsh realities people face. The experience is hosted by CrossRoads, an inner-city retreat center that engages groups in peacemaking through urban retreat experiences, outreach to the margins, prayer, service, and a bridging of communities for justice. 

Partner Organization: Crossroads
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

Summer 2008 Locations - International

Duran, Ecuador - May 22-31, 2008

Students will have the opportunity to see the face of Christ present within the economically poor of Duran, Ecuador. Students will live in an economically poor neighborhood in Duran where they spend time each day getting to know the families (especially the children) who live nearby. The group will visit schools, health clinics and other social service organzations providing services to those in the area. The experience is modeled after a retreat schedule. Rostro de Cristo is a program with a strong Catholic tradition. Groups will have an opportunity to attend Catholic mass and learn what role faith plays in the lives of the people of Duran.

Partner Organization: Rostro de Cristo
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

Nuevo Paraiso, Honduras - May 28–June 4, 2008

Participants will join JCU alumni medical professionals in providing critically-needed medical supplies and services to residents of remote villages in Honduras. This experience also includes excursions to other health-related organizations such as a nearby orphanage and a residential facility for expectant teen mothers, as well as opportunities for cultural and social activities in local villages and in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.

ACADEMIC CREDIT OPTION AVAILABLE
Partner Organization: Sociedad Amigos de los Ninos
Administrated by: Center for Service and Social Action

Kingston, Jamaica - May 22-31, 2008

Students will have an opportunity to experience the reality of this beautiful but economically challenged Caribbean island. The group will volunteer at clinics, hospitals, schools, soup kitchens, etc. In addition, the group meets with local community leaders to learn about the unique culture of Jamaica and the many challenges that the people face. This trip is organized in collaboration with Jamaica Volunteers Foundation (JVF). JVF is a secular organization that hosts many groups from Jesuit Catholic universities. The experience is open to people of all faiths.

Partner Organization: Jamaica Volunteers Foundation
Administrated by: Campus Ministry

Tijuana, Mexico - June 4-12, 2008

Students are hosted by Los Niños International, a binational community development organization which works to bring communities in Tijuana and nearby areas together with visiting delegations on projects which help to create opportunities for children and their families to realize their potential through participation in the development of their communities. Typical work projects include mixing cement for school playgrounds or walkways, painting for orphanages, and grounds work for gardening or green space projects. Most days involve a work project in the morning (always with community members), lunch with the community, and explorations of Tijuana and its uniquely mixed culture in the afternoon and evening. Students visit the Border Wall Memorial and meet with migrants as well as agencies which work with migrants, learning much about the social realities of migration and the cultural vibrancy of the border region.

ACADEMIC CREDIT OPTION AVAILABLE
Partner Organization: Los Ninos
Administrated by: Honors Program
NOTE: This immersion experience has a separate application process. Please click here for more information.