By Deanna Howes Spiro, Director of Communications, AJCU
This month’s issue of Connections comes at a time when our schools have been forced to move all classes and activities online. Our theme of “service learning” is surely prompting all of us to think about ways that we can still serve our local communities in an era of social distancing.
Service learning is a critical part of a Jesuit education, one that connects students and faculty with their local communities through academic courses. In this issue of Connections, you will learn about a number of innovative courses, including a neighborhood theater initiative led by The University of Scranton; an MBA course that connects University of Detroit Mercy students with local small-business owners; and an orientation program in Philadelphia for first-year students at Saint Joseph’s University. You will also learn about the AJCU Service Learning Professionals Conference, whose members meet biannually on a Jesuit campus, but maintain close connections through webinars and an active listserv throughout the year.
We are grateful for the ways that our schools make service learning a vibrant and vital part of the Jesuit educational experience for our students. And at this time of great challenge and uncertainty, we pray for our service learning professionals and the communities which they serve.