Graditude In Action

Senior Christian Service Program

Immersion Trips

Community service at Trinity Catholic is called "Gratitude In Action." It is an integral part of the educational experience of the school. As a Catholic school rooted in the Gospel message, we take sesriously Jesus' command "that you love God...and your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:30-31). This command not only asks that we help others, but also that we reflect on how and why we help. It is our goal not simply to ask a student to "fix a problem" or "provide a service," but to develop an understanding of service that is based on the relationships established with the people served.

Our goals:

• To help the students recognize that service to one's neighbor is at the heart of who we are as a Catholic faith community.
• To cultivate students who are responsible citizens, and caring people who will be community leaders upon leaving Trinity Catholic.
• To provide students with the skills that we will be the foundation of their future, the future of our world.

Requirements:

• Each student is required to participate in ONE Gratitude-in-Action experience during each of his/her Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior years.
• Experiences may be within the students' own community, or students may choose to participate in one of the experiences facilitated by TCHS.
  • All non-TCHS experiences must be PRE-APPROVED by the Campus Minister in order to fulfill the requirement
  • Things that DO NOT count as non-TCHS service:
    • yard work for family/neighbors (raking, planting, snow removal, etc)
    • helping someone move
    • helping an elderly/disabled neighbor/friend
    • volunteering at a family member's business
• A GIA experience MUST be completed along with other TCHS students (at least 3 students working together) and MUST involve DIRECT CONTACT with a community or group of people
• Students are required to participate in pre-and post- education and discussion meetings with a faculty mentor and the other students participating in a particular GIA experience

What DOES NOT count as a GIA experience?

• Yard work for family/neighbors (raking, planting, snow removal, etc)
• Helping someone move
• Helping an elderly/disabled neighbor/friend
• Volunteering as a family member's business, or any profit-making organization
• Assigned community service due to church, school, or outside of school issues
• Doing volunteer work on own (this program is designed to do service in groups)
• IMPORTANT: Volunteering at TCHS open houses, enrollment nights, lock-in, assisting teachers, or athletic events no longer counts towards GIA
• Summer volunteering will no longer count towards the GIA requirment

What happens if a student does not complete GIA in the academic year?

• Failure to complete the GIA requirement during the academic year will result in a student's report card or transcript being withheld at the end of the year

TCHS GIA Experiences (tentitive):

• 2 Camden, NJ Service-Learning Trips
• Dominican Republic Service-Learning Immersion Trip
• Walk for Hunger

The Senior Christian Service Program is an intensive service program that all senior students at Trinity Catholic participate in during their 4th quarter of their senior year. The senior theology curriculum focuses on vocation and how we love. During their studies throughout the year, seniors meet with the Campus Minister to choose an appropriate service site. This years, seniors will begin service on May 4, 2010, doing approximately 30 hours per week of service for 3 weeks at a school approved site. Sites range from pre- and elementary schools, homeless shelters, medical clinics, and animal shelters. Students are paired with a faculty mentor with whom they meet for 1 hour each week of the program. This faculty mentor also visits the student at his/her site during the program. Seniors also return to school 1 evening each week for a large group reflection. Seniors are given journals with guided reflection questions to help them process their experience.

SENIOR SERVICE PREP PACKET

SENIOR SERVICE REFLECTION JOURNAL

Each year for 5 days over the Martin Luther King, Jr Day weekend in January, 10 students and 2 faculty members travel from Boston to Camden, NJ for a service immersion trip run through the Romero Center in Camden. During this trip, students are exposed to the reality of poverty in our own country.

Students for this trip are chosen by application just after Thanksgiving. Announcements will be made at school when applications are available.

Next Trip: January 13-15, 2011

Please see our Dominican Republic Link