The last section of Gonzaga’s mission statement emphasizes our desire foster within our students “a mature commitment to the dignity of the human person, social justice, diversity, intercultural competence, global engagement, solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, and care for the planet.” For Gonzaga’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE), this commitment emerges from the transformative experiences our students have through our office.
By connecting our university with local, regional and global partners, the CCE seeks to positively transform our students and communities. At the CCE we encourage our students “to know, to care and to act.” Our hope is that you are challenged to do so inside and outside of the classroom in ways that unearth your gifts and help to foster a mature commitment to others.
This commitment to others reflects the Jesuit value of being “women and men for and with others.” Through CCE’s many service and community engagement programs, students learn about the critical issues impacting the communities in which they serve and the ways they might contribute to positive social change. Whether serving as a mentor to a middle school youth or building a lasting connection with a local adult that is differently-abled, our students are challenged to recognize the infinite worth within the person in front of them.
CCE offers students opportunities to engage in service both inside and outside of the classroom. Each year Gonzaga faculty teach over 100 community-engaged learning courses, providing students opportunities to apply academic concepts to address real-world community needs and issues. We also offer a variety of co-curricular service programs such as:
- Zag Volunteer Corps (ZVC) Semesters & Saturdays of Service: Choose to serve alongside fellow ZVC volunteers at a local non-profit for 2-3 hours each week over the semester or volunteer for a one-day Saturday of Service project.
- Service Immersion Programs: These programs provide students opportunities to delve more deeply into social justice issues impacting communities across the US through the week-long Justice in January and Mission Possible programs. You may also choose to spend 2-3 weeks with our international program in Ecuador explores the intersection of faith and justice through an international context.
- Youth Programs & Initiatives: Interested in working with local youth through our mentoring and tutoring programs? We offer seven programs that provide local youth opportunities to build meaningful relationships with Gonzaga students.
Stop by our office in Hemmingson 206 or Hemmingson 010 to learn more about how to get involved in these programs and more.
For those of you with a desire to get involved in the community from day one – we recommend attending our pre-orientation program, Reality Camp. Engage in this weeklong program with fellow Zags that share a heart for service and social justice. Click here to learn more.
We look forward to welcoming you to campus this fall!
-Anthony Medina
Anthony Medina is the assistant director of Gonzaga University’s Center for Community Engagement.