Community Service University

By Sima Thorpe
Director of Gonzaga’s CCASL

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday, offers a reminder and an opportunity for all Americans to celebrate a commitment to service and social justice.  Indeed, MLK Day is a national “day on, not a day off” for many who will roll up their sleeves to help their neighborhoods and communities.  At Gonzaga we celebrate our own commitment to service and social justice through our mission to create “men and women for others” with a “thirst for justice.”

I’m inspired by the word thirst in our University’s mission  statement.  The University could have used different words like “understanding” or “commitment to” justice, but the word thirst is used intentionally and dynamically to convey that student should thirst for justice—passionate commitment is needed to make a difference.  This sets the bar very high!  Knowing and understanding the social ills in our communities is not enough.  We expect our students to develop a thirst, which intrinsically creates a call to act.

Gonzaga students have responded to the call by already arriving at GU with experience and a commitment to civic engagement.  During Orientation in August, nearly every student raised their hand when our Dean of Admission asked if they had participated in service in high school. For the last several years our Zags have contributed an astounding  total of more than 100,000 hours of community service annually!  At GU, every day is a day with an opportunity to serve.

Gonzaga students have myriad ways to volunteer and become involved in service.  Through academic service-learning, students can participate in a hands-on community-service project that is integrated into their coursework.  Last semester we had a record 904 students participating in service-learning.

Mentoring and tutoring at-risk youth is a major civic engagement initiative at GU with six programs, including the nationally acclaimed Campus Kids Project and Zag Study Buddies.  These programs help serve poor children and families who have few options for after-school activities and support.  Many students serve meals at our local homeless shelters or get involved in environmental outreach projects. The Center for Community Action and Service-Learning (CCASL) is the service hub on campus that can connect any student to a volunteer project or activity.

In addition, our students volunteer through their residential communities and clubs.  Participating in a service program is a positive way for students to meet other students, engage with our mission of service and find an activity that develops and engages their passion to make a difference in the local and global community.

For more information on service opportunities contact CCASL at (509)313-6924 or visit www.gonzaga.edu/CCASL