Ignatian Service

Loyola Blakefield's Ignatian Service Program gives students the opportunity to become more open to growth and committed to doing justice as they attempt to deepen their love for the human family. Service experiences offer them the chance to learn about some of the perplexing problems and conditions of contemporary society. As students respond to these problems and contradictions, their religious faith can be enriched. They can also realize that faith requires a social responsibility and constructive action.

Ignatian Service is an integral part of the Jesuit educational experience and is sewn into the fabric of our curricula. Students participate in year-round service opportunities, which include individual, homeroom, class and school-wide service projects, as well as senior summer service trips. All Loyola students are expected to participate in their designated yearlong class project, with the exception of seniors. Seniors complete a 40-hour individual senior service commitment that begins midway through the student's junior year and lasts for one year. As this is a graduation requirement, seniors choose their own project and are expected to complete the project by a predetermined date in the first week of May. Students must then submit a documentation of their completed hours and a reflection paper or journal that describes the impact that the service experience has had on them. 

Loyola's service experiences give students the opportunity to respond to the needs of the less fortunate members of society and contribute to alleviating social injustice. Students interact with people who have had life experiences that are different from their own. Reflection on their experiences helps them to discover their feelings about themselves and the people they encounter as they serve. Personal reflection often empowers students to ask questions about their perception of the world and their place in that world.