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An essential part of the Junior Service Experience is a culminating reflection project, in which each student will reflect on what he has learned during his hours of service. There are several different options for the service project, although they all must answer the same core questions. 

Reflection projects are due by the end of the school year. Even if a student hands in his hours verification sheet, his service is not complete until we have received his reflection project. If you have any questions, please contact the Director of Campus Ministry.

CORE QUESTIONS

ALL reflection projects must answer these six essential questions. Please find a way to restate them in your project:

  1. What did you do to complete your service hours? What was the name of your site, and what duties did you have there? Why or how did you choose this particular service site? What were your expectations (hopes, worries) going in?
  2. Who does your site work with? What is their primary population (i.e. people experiencing homelessness, kids from low income areas, senior citizens, etc.)? What are some of the challenges that this population faces? What are some relevant statistics about the challenges they face (i.e. how many people are homeless on a given night in the city where you worked, what is the college acceptance rate in the area, etc.)?
  3. How does your site address those challenges – what sort of services does it provide to its clients? What is their “mission” or philosophy (check their website or ask a staff member if you’re not sure)? How did your service work contribute to the organization as a whole?
  4. What did you enjoy the most about working at this site? What did you find most challenging? Tell me about something you did at your service site that you were really proud of. On the other hand, also tell me about something you wish you had done differently or better?
  5. Who was one person who had a big impact on you? They can be someone you served, or a staff member at the site. How did you meet them, and what were your interactions like? What did you learn from them? (Please be sure to respect the confidentiality of clients at your service sites – feel free to change names).
  6. What do you want to do now? How can you continue to address this issue, or support your service site, now that your hours are complete? What lessons or insights are you taking away from this experience? How have you grown or changed as a result of it?

PROJECT OPTIONS

OPTION 1: MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS (VIDEO, PHOTO DOCUMENTARY, PODCAST)

  • A video or photo documentary must:
    • ​​Be at least fifteen minutes long and shared with the Director of Campus Ministry.
    • Include narration and background music.
    • Include an interview with a staff member at your service agency, and a client if appropriate.
      • Remember to ALWAYS ask permission before taking a picture or capturing video of someone at your service sites.
    • Answer the six core questions listed above.
  • An example of a video presentation can be found here:

This video was created by a Fordham University staff member who traveled to the Working Boys Center in Quito, Ecuador – the same program Prep students work with.

  • An example of a photo documentary can be found here:

This documentary was created by a church group who went on a mission trip to Rancho Santa Maria in Mexico.

  • A podcast must:
    • Be at least 15 minutes long and shared with the Director of Campus Ministry (email me the audio file).
    • Include the student answering the six core questions and background music.
    • Include an interview with a staff member at your service agency, and a client if appropriate.
    • You can find instructions and options for recording podcasts here. You can do it with nothing but a phone!
    • An example of a student podcast can be found here. While it’s not about service, this is a podcast created by two Prep students for the Petroc!

OPTION 2: JOURNAL/REFLECTION BLOG

  • This can be either a physical handwritten journal or an online blog using a platform like Blogger. If you create an online blog, make sure to give the Director of Campus Ministry access so that they can read it.
  • Individual entries answering each of the six core questions listed above.
  • All journals/blogs must include:
    • An entry reflection on each visit to your service site.
      • Entries should be at least 300 words long.
    • Individual entries answering each of the six core questions listed above.

OPTION 3: REFLECTION ESSAY

  • Write an essay of at least 1,500 words answering the six core questions listed above.
  • All essays must be in 12 point Times New Roman, proper MLA format, and shared electronically. Essays should also be carefully proofread and spellchecked.

OPTION 4: CREATIVE OPTIONS

  • If you have an idea for a creative project that can fully address the six core questions above, feel free to propose it to the Director of Campus Ministry, who will let you know if it is approved.
  • Please note that because of the requirements for this project, we are no longer accepting single drawings or poems. Any service project must be able to answer the questions above in detail.

Campus Ministry:
Christian Service