Xavier’s Community Service Program (CSP)
is a planned series of experiences designed to assist the students
in becoming “persons for others.” The program, which
extends from freshman through senior year, allows students to
experience the satisfactions and frustrations of working with
others outside the school community. It gives students the opportunity
to put gifts and talents, in small ways, at the service of others.
CSP is an integral and essential part of the Xavier curriculum.
In freshman, sophomore and junior year, engages
in a CSP weekend. In freshman year, the CSP takes place in one
of the villages on Weno. In second and third year, the class goes
off island. The class is accompanied by their religion teacher
and the class moderator, along with members of the Campus Ministry
team.
In the summer between sophomore and junior year,
each student is asked to complete approximately two weeks looking
into possible sites for their senior year Community Service Project
that will take place the following summer. Each student is asked
to visit different organizations in their community and spend
some time observing the activities of the organization. The student
might remain with one organization for the two-week period or
might visit and observe at several different organizations.
In the summer between junior and senior year,
each student is asked to complete 160 hours of service to his
or her community. Each student will have a supervisor who can
help guide the student and to certify at the end of the CSP that
he or she has successfully completed a minimum of 160 hours.
We ask that every chance be given to the student
to work directly with people. In the past, some students have
been given tasks that result in their working alone in a back
office organizing files or some kind of similar work. While this
may be a help to the organization, the aim of the CSP is for the
student to serve with the organization working directly with others.
Students have helped people by translating, assisting others in
filling out forms, by tutoring and teaching, by assisting at the
hospital, and a range of other services.
During the CSP, students keep a daily journal
detailing their experiences and write a brief reflection paper
after each forty hours of service. When students return to school
in August they spend the first day or two sharing with their classmates
their summer CSP experience and writing a final reflection paper
on the their experience.
