The Pay It Forward program will give incoming sophomore, junior, or high school students an opportunity to gain up to 20 service hours in a unique way. Service learning at USF provides the opportunity to incorporate the university’s values into learning experiences, e.g. service (building community, sharing our gifts selflessly, caring for the needs of others); compassion (promoting empathy, forgiveness and peace); integrity (fulfillment of responsibilities, commitment to truth and justice) and respect (reverence for the gift of creation).
The majority of the time each day will be actual service within the Joliet community at four service sites – a food pantry, an outdoor cleaning of a public area, a “fix up” of a service building, and engaging with senior citizens at a selected center. The students will be put on work teams and each team will go to a different service site each day. The work teams, along with a USF staff member, will be taken to the service sites on USF buses. Each student will participate in each of the four experiences. Information will be provided ahead of these services experiences so students can dress appropriately.
Program Details
| Date: | July 11-14, 2016 |
| Time: | 8 a.m.-2 p.m. each day |
| Where: | You’ll meet at USF’s campus, but will visit a different service site each day. |
| Cost: | $50 covers all expenses and materials, including continental breakfast, snack at the worksite, lunch, and transportation. Note: This opportunity is open to only 100 students; first come, first serve! |
| Registration: | REGISTER HERE! |
| Contact: | Fr. Terry Deffenbaugh, USF Chaplin & Theology Instructor tdeffenbaugh@stfrancis.edu | 815-740-3605 |
Daily Overview
Students will participate in three components each day. At the beginning of each day there will be activities focusing on four aspects of service and how it benefits the individual and serves the larger community. The four aspects of service are:
- Learning and developing a sense of social responsibility for the community.
- Engaging the student in the diversity in the community.
- Working as a team (both leading and following) and understanding the importance of communication in any group activity.
- Building relationships and connectedness with other students and USF staff, as well as those who are being served.
Daily Agenda
| 8 a.m. | Registration and continental breakfast |
| 8:30-9:30 a.m. | Group learning activity, focusing on one of four aspects of service each day. Students review all four over the course of four days. Social Responsibility – Service
Diversity – Respect Teamwork and Accountability – Integrity Compassionate Service – Compassion |
| 9:45-12:45 p.m. | Team participation at one of the service sites (transportation by USF bus) |
| 1-2 p.m. | Lunch and processing what was learned |
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