Senior CFX

The Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC) offers high schools a faith-based service learning and immersion experience. The group will spend the first few days of the trip in Santiago De Los Caballeros, learning about the history and culture of the Dominican Republic. Some groups build latrines, while others paint and do various community services. After this the group will spend a few days and nights in the campo, or countryside, in a rural part of the country. Students and chaperones will be paired with host families and will spend the few days partaking in a service project and engaging with the community.

Applicants for the program must submit their online application before Thanksgiving (applications accepted on a rolling basis). The applicants will then go through a review process by a committee of faculty, staff, and administration before being selected for the program. Once the participants have been selected, each student will be required to attend regular meetings. Each student will be expected to pay a $350 deposit up front, in addition to raising additional money for air transportation and program fees through mandatory outside fundraising, anticipated to be approximately $750 (once the final number is confirmed you will be notified). If you are selected for the program and you cannot participate for any reason, you must tell Mr. Alibrandi ASAP.

There is room for a group of 10-12 students to participate on the Dominican Republic trip. The trip typically runs during Holy Week.

The Urban Challenge is the cornerstone program sponsored by Romero Center Ministries. The Urban Challenge experience gives Catholics and other people of faith the opportunity to build bridges of understanding. Students will confront issues that divide communities—poverty, race, class—in a prayerful and constructive environment. The Urban Challenge combines volunteer service in the city of Camden, New Jersey, with study and prayer. During the day, students work at a variety of work sites—in schools, with hot meals programs, at drop-in centers for persons infected with HIV/AIDS, at housing construction, and with several other agencies in Camden and Philadelphia. In the evening, they discuss urban poverty, social and economic justice, and reflect on our call as disciples to embrace a “preferential option for the poor.” The group also tours the city and listens to people from the community tell their stories about living in Camden.

The Urban Challenge Program is an urban, service-learning, immersion experience rooted in the Catholic faith tradition. It offers a point of access to the lives and stories of the people of Camden and its surrounding communities. The program is built upon four fundamental components: prayer, service, education and reflection (much in line with our own CFX cornerstones of prayer, service, simplicity, and community).

There are a limited number of spots for this trip ,which runs from a Thursday through a Sunday and is open to juniors and seniors. If you are accepted to CFX Mexico or Pine Ridge, you may still be eligible to participate in CFX Camden as well.

After submitting their online application, applicants will then go through a review process by a committee of faculty before being selected for the program. Once the participants have been selected, each student will be required to attend regular meetings.

Each student will be expected to pay a $100 deposit up front. No fundraising is required for this trip and the total participant cost is $325. The $225 balance will be due at a later date. If you are selected for the program and you cannot participate for any reason, you must let Mr. Alibrandi know ASAP.

The cost covers transportation, lodging, programming, and registration costs at the Romero Center as well as most meals. Students will be responsible for their own food purchases during the drive back and forth to Camden.