Summer Core Service Planning
It is the season when many of our students are planning summer Core Projects. Over 350 students participate in Core Projects during any given summer.
Core Projects are intended to challenge SI students to engage with social justice through direct, on-going service within communities that have been marginalized in our society. We ask that students make a commitment of at least 40 hours to the same nonprofit organization and that students organize their own project plan in advance.
All Core Projects require approval by SI Christian Service staff. Once approved, students receive their reflection journal: an Ignatian-based discernment process that accompanies the service action. Please keep in mind that our Core Projects combine activity and contemplation—both service and reflection are required experiences of Core Projects.
If you have questions, please contact Christian Service in person. We look forward to helping each student!
Students complete their service requirement (and Core Project) at various points in their SI school experience which provides great flexibility but can also be confusing as no two students are exactly the same. What follows is a brief summary of where your student may be and how you can encourage him/her:
- Class of 2011: Students who are still striving to plan and finish a Core Project must make this graduation requirement a top priority this summer. SI’s service requirement is due on August 19. Rising seniors must receive approval of their Core Project before the summer begins. This is important as students need to connect with Christian Service staff. As well, students should receive their reflection journal before beginning a Core Project. It is very helpful for rising senior students to meet with and submit Core Projects to Christian Service by our last day of classes (May 26). Information on our website is available to assist students; However, we strongly encourage and invite students to come to our office in person. Please know that in the last two months, Christian Service has been very proactive in reaching out to to every rising senior needing, providing them with information and resources to complete his/her requirement.
- Class of 2012: Most students decide to do their Core Projects as rising juniors. This is the perfect time to experience justice in action! These students should be working on their plan now and should aim to submit their projects to Christian Service by the last day of school (May 26). If a rising junior student misses this deadline, there are some opportunities in the summer to still meet with CS staff. Students should work directly with CS staff to organize their time so that they can come, in person, to our Summer Office Hours. Summer Office Hours will be posted on the Christian Service website beginning in May.
- Class of 2013: Volunteering over the summer is a great option for rising sophomores. However, Christian Service does not encourage rising sophomores to rush a Core Project this summer. If a student wants to participate in a Core Project during the summer months, that is great! But there is no need to be overly stressed about finishing this aspect of the requirement. In fact, Christian Service has found that just volunteering with nonprofit organizations (for regular hours) is one of the best summer experiences for rising sophomores. A good rule of thumb is to have your student involved in about30-45 hours of regular service. In this way, rising sophomores begin to learn what issues touch their heart and start to understand the reasons behind our graduation requirement. Most SI students are ready for the rigor of a Core Project a little later in their academic experience. No matter what, rising sophomores should not feel rushed about Core Projects. If a rising sophomore decides to do a Core Project, they can absolutely utilize our Summer Office Hours for support and do not need to feel an urgency with regard to our May 26th deadline.
For More Assistance on Planning a Core Project