Students Back from their Spring Break Immersion Experience
125 College of the Holy Cross Students Embark on Spring Break Immersion Program
The College of the Holy Cross's Spring Break Immersion Program (SBIP) recently completed its third annual run, with 125 students participating in a variety of community service, cultural, and social justice projects during their spring break.
The program, orchestrated by the Chaplain's office, encourages all students to consider participating in the future. The students were divided into groups of 4 to 11 and were sent to 17 different locations, ranging from Boston to Washington state.
The locations included four types of sites: L'Arche, Sustainability, Appa, and Special (Urban) Sites. L'Arche is an international organization that helps connect those with intellectual disabilities with people from other parts of the world. Appa sites are located in the Appalachian region and help students learn about issues like rural poverty and homelessness. Special sites are often based in urban locations and teach students about concepts like racial justice, the education system, and urban poverty and homelessness. Sustainability sites are local farms that teach students about the intersection between ecology and human impact on the planet.
The students were given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the communities they were placed in, learning firsthand about the challenges and opportunities facing these areas. In some cases, this meant sleeping on the floor or on narrow church pews during the trip.
The SBIP experience began with a Kick-off dinner on the last day of classes, this year on Feb. 28. The students learned their locations at the Reveal Night event, held in Seelos Theater on January 26th. The program concluded with a "Welcome Back" dinner in Kimball Hall on Friday, March 8, and a final night of fun at Bowlero Worcester.
The Jesuit principle, "men and women for and with others," is at the cornerstone of SBIP. The program aims to enhance students' understanding of societal issues through experiential learning aligned with Jesuit educational values such as cura personalis (care for the whole person) and social justice.
For more specific details about the locations, themes, or credit arrangements of SBIP at Holy Cross, we recommend consulting the College of the Holy Cross’s official website or academic program materials directly. The College features the Spring Break Immersion program as a central part of the college experience, providing students with an unforgettable opportunity to grow personally and make a meaningful impact in their communities.
- The Spring Break Immersion Program (SBIP) at the College of the Holy Cross recently concluded, with 125 students participating in community service, cultural, and social justice projects during their spring break.
- The College's SBIP encourages all students to consider participating in the program in the future, dividing them into groups of 4 to 11 and sending them to 17 different locations.
- The locations for SBIP include L'Arche, Sustainability, Appa, and Special (Urban) Sites, with L'Arche an international organization serving those with intellectual disabilities, Appa sites in the Appalachian region addressing rural poverty and homelessness, Special sites focusing on racial justice, education, and urban poverty, and Sustainability sites teaching ecology and human impact on the planet.
- During the SBIP, students immerse themselves in the communities they are placed in, learning firsthand about the challenges and opportunities facing these areas, often it means they have to sleep on the floor or on narrow church pews during the trip.
- The SBIP experience begins with a Kick-off dinner on the last day of classes, followed by a Reveal Night event where students learn their assigned locations, and concludes with a "Welcome Back" dinner and a final night of fun.
- The Jesuit principle "men and women for and with others" is at the heart of SBIP, aiming to enhance students' understanding of societal issues through experiential learning aligned with Jesuit educational values like cura personalis (care for the whole person) and social justice, offering students an unforgettable opportunity to grow personally and make a meaningful impact in their communities.
