Service Learning Conference

Hosted by GAA and Loyola University Chicago this free two-day conference and workshop was attended by  over 200 students and administrators from 8 area high schools. Its focus was on social justice issues in developing countries in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia and ways that high school students can learn about and participate in community-based efforts to address these problems.

The following community-based organizations dedicated to concrete social justice issues such as global poverty, the AIDS epidemic, sweatshops, environmental degradation, human rights violations conducted lectures, video presentations and focus group discussions on said topics:  Coprodeli USA, Neighborhood First, Fabretto, Heartland Alliance, Friends of Kibera, Centro Romero, Working Bikes Cooperative, Interfaith Youth Core and Lakeside CDC. Loyola University students described ways that today's colleges or universitites have enabled them to expand and deepen the social awareness that was an important part of their own high school experience; and Christ the King Jesuit College Prep high school students discussed ways that they are currently engaging in service learning and the issues surrounding their experiences.

Plans for the Third Annual Conference are under way for fall 2010.

For details, please contact Linda Stolz