Service

Sister Providencia Center for Service Engagement

At the Sister Providencia Center for Service Engagement, we firmly believe that every act of service is an exchange.

The individuals we serve have many things to teach us. We help students seek out these learnings from their sacred encounters and apply them to their lives.

Key principles of service at the University of Providence:

Service is an exchange.

The giver and the receiver are on equal footing and have much to teach each other.

Service is an extension of God’s provident love.

When we serve, we act as God’s hands and feet in this world.

Service is a unifier.

Service gathers diverse people of goodwill around a common belief that all people deserve to be cared for well. All are welcome, and all can contribute.

Service is a stress reliever.

Service can release us from daily stressors by shifting our focus to others. It provides a sense of purpose and empowerment that may be lacking in other areas of our lives.

Service is a means of self-discovery.

As St. John Paul II reminds us, people can only fully know themselves when they sincerely give themselves to others.

What We Offer

The Providencia Center for Service Engagement provides numerous opportunities for students to engage in service.

Service Days

The Providencia Center organizes service opportunities throughout the year that are open to students, staff, and faculty. This allows the university to support the local community while also strengthening the sense of community among those who volunteer.

Weekly Service

Students can commit to weekly service on a semester-by-semester basis. Each semester, students can renew their commitments with their current agency or explore a new form of service at a different location.

Fellowship

To help students incorporate into their lives the new insights they gain from service, the Providencia Center hosts social gatherings throughout the semester. Here, students can share their experiences and grow in community with one another.

Service Trips

The Providencia Center serves as home to Campus Ministry’s multi-day service trips. Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, these immersion experiences are designed to help students connect more closely to the University’s mission of caring for the poor and vulnerable.

Providence Servant Leaders Program

Sophomores who are interested in a spiritually-driven, service-oriented formation program are invited to enroll in the Providence Servant Leaders program. After completing a year of formation, these students will take on roles in peer ministry and in leading service programming at the Providencia Center.

Email nicolas.estrada@uprovidence.edu for more information about Providence Servant Leaders program.

Service-Learning

As a part of the core curriculum of the University of Providence, all students are required to complete a service-learning designated course for their degree. The Providencia Center supports faculty and students with service opportunity placements.