Service Program
Why have a service program?
From the Bible: "But if I wash your feet - I who am teacher and Lord - then you must wash each other's feet. What I just did was to give you an example, as I have done, so you must do." John 13:13-15
From the Bishops: “More than any other program of education sponsored by the Church, the Catholic school has the opportunity and obligation to be unique, contemporary and oriented to Christian Service…because it helps students acquire skills, virtues and habits of heart and mind required for effective service to others.” To Teach as Jesus Did - #106
Community Service at Christian Brothers College High School is designed to open the hearts and minds of our students to the reality of other members of their community. This program often allows our students to become acquainted with disadvantaged and vulnerable members of our society – people that most of them do not usually associate with in their daily lives. In this way, our students will be able to understand and relate to the challenges and hopes of these people on a deeper, more personal level. As a result, it is our hope that they will recognize the holy presence of God in others while they develop empathy and compassion for these individuals, which will inform the personal and professional decisions that they make throughout their lives.
Freshman and Sophomore Service
Freshmen and sophomores are required to do a minimum of 16 hours of Christian Service each year, with at least eight of these being completed before the start of first semester exams. All remaining hours must be submitted by May 1. In order to be considered complete, a student’s full requirement must be submitted, verified, and approved in x2Vol by the stated deadline. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that his stated “Verification Contact” (a representative of the agency or organization for which the student performs service) receives and completes the required x2Vol verification. Failure to complete these hours by the stated deadlines will result in a grade of “F” for the Religion class corresponding to the semester in which the student failed to meet his requirement. Failure to meet the service requirement will also render a student ineligible to participate in co-curricular activities until the requirement is met. Students are permitted to perform these hours in the summer prior to the academic year (provided that the previous academic year and all corresponding requirements have been completed). Service hours cannot be performed for a student’s parent/guardian or immediate family. Hours may be performed with a parent/guardian or family member if it is for a larger charitable organization/event, but hours performed assisting a parent/guardian or family member with regular household tasks (e.g., babysitting siblings, yard work, cleaning the house) will not be accepted. Service hours cannot be performed with a for-profit business/organization unless it is in connection with a larger charitable organization or event (e.g., assisting a business with a food drive or charitable effort). The Director of Mission and Ministry reserves the right to reject any service hours entry that does not meet these criteria.
CBC uses x2Vol to help students to track hours, and to post opportunities. Students have been introduced to how to use x2Vol to track hours as well as to find service opportunities. x2Vol will also be used to verify the hours students have done so they may meet the minimal service requirements. When students submit hours to be verified, they will also write a reflection. Here is a link with some tips on writing good reflections.
Junior Service Immersion Program
CBC’s Vision Statement reads: “Christian Brothers College High School will create positive change in our community and world through the lives of our graduates: young men who are guided by faith, strengthened by intellect, committed to justice, and prepared to lead and serve.” In light of this, the administration of CBC has granted all juniors a privileged time in May to demonstrate their faith and commitment to justice through servant leadership by releasing them from academic work three weeks prior to the conclusion of the school year. Please note, this does NOT mean that summer vacation simply starts three weeks earlier for juniors. Rather, it is the expectation at CBC that all juniors complete their junior year experience in direct service of others during this three week period so that they will grow in their awareness of the needs of those they serve, and, hopefully, become more committed to the service of others as they become "Men for Tomorrow." This service experience begins with a prayer service on the first Friday of May to commission the junior class for service. This prayer service is designed to promote the ideal of leadership that we envision for seniors at CBC - to be Servant Leaders.
The Junior Service Immersion Project will be completed as the capstone of the junior year. (Any hours performed by a junior student outside of this window may be entered into x2Vol as “above and beyond” hours, but they may not be applied to this project.) After completing final assessments for courses during the first week of May, juniors will be released from academic responsibility for the remaining weeks of May to complete a fifty-hour Service Immersion Project at an agency or organization working directly with people in need. Though the academic portion of the school year is completed with exams, juniors are not finished with the year until they have successfully completed this requirement. Students will be provided with an exhaustive list of project opportunities during the fall semester and, although not every student will be able to get his first-choice project, students will have the ability to select a project in order of preference. Specific requirements will vary for each project and students will receive more information on the project options during the Fall semester, but students should typically expect each project to meet the following criteria:
- A minimum of fifty (50) service hours must be completed during the final three weeks of May.
- The hours will be completed with an agency outside of CBC that works directly with people experiencing poverty (economic, social, physical, or emotional).
- The service will be direct and personal to the people whom the agency serves.
- Each student will be required to submit his project selection by December 1. Please note that some projects such as mission trips that involve travel may have an earlier deadline to allow for longer planning periods--students will be informed of these deadlines well in advance.
- Each student must comply with all requirements as requested from his Project Coordinator, and all documentation must be completed prior to the final day of freshman/sophomore exam week in May.
Failure to meet the above outlined requirements will result in the following consequences:
- The student will be ineligible to participate in co-curricular activities until such time as all requirements have been completed.
- Any service hours the student fails to complete will be added to the senior service requirement.
The student will not officially graduate from CBC until such time as all requirements have been completed.
CBC Mission Trip Applications for the Class of 2023 are due on December 1. Information about how to apply for mission trips will be provided early in the fall semester in each junior religion class.
Senior Service
Similar to the Junior Service Project, senior service must be direct and personal with people experiencing poverty (economic, social, physical, or emotional). A senior may begin his Senior Service Project upon satisfactory completion of his Junior Service Project as described above. The requirements for the Senior Service Project are as follows:
- A minimum of thirty-two (32) service hours must be completed by no later than March 1.
- The hours will be completed with an agency outside of CBC that works directly with people experiencing poverty (economic, social, physical, or emotional).
- The service will be direct and personal to the people whom the agency serves.
- Each student must select and submit his service project by November 1. Failure to do so will result in a failing grade for the student’s first semester Religion course.
- Each student must complete, document, and submit his 32 hours by March 1. In order to be considered complete, a student’s full requirement must be submitted, verified, and approved in x2Vol by the stated deadline. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that his stated “Verification Contact” (a representative of the agency or organization for which the student performs service) receives and completes the required x2Vol verification.
Failure to meet the above outlined requirements will result in the following consequences:
- The student will receive a failing grade for his Religion course(s).
- The student will not officially graduate from CBC until such time as all requirements have been completed.
Upon the student completing all the aforementioned requirements, the grade for his Religion course(s) will be changed to reflect his actual performance in the course(s) and he will be permitted to graduate. Any questions regarding the service requirement should be directed to the Director of Mission and Ministry.