NEW & RETURNING YOUTH SERVICE LEARNING PARTNERS

To close out the summer, two youth ministries participated in a week-long ICA Service Learning program while staying at the ICA GreenRise. Northway Christian Church and the First Christian Church of Rowlett, both from Texas, arranged for their two ministries to learn, live, and volunteer together. ​

The cohort of 40 youth (aged 12-17) and their youth ministers explored a deeper understanding of service work, causes of homelessness, and systemic injustice. The group’s curriculum incorporated action and reflection by pairing theory and methods with hands-on volunteering with nonprofits across Chicago.

This fall, for the third year in a row, ICA is continuing its partnership with the Social Entrepreneurship from INSEEC Graduate Business School in Paris. The program aims to deepen the students’ community and cultural competence, enabling them to think critically about society in the US and France. Using an action reflection pedagogy, the curriculum includes theoretical components on race, the environment and economy, an action research component and a methods training component. 

The action-research component places students at social enterprises in Chicago, providing the opportunity to develop applicable skills and gain a greater context about the city. Action-research sites are connected to the ICA through the accelerate77 and CSLN projects. The action-research provides benefits to the students and host sites, as well as the ICA, through the project deliverables and strengthened organizational relationships. ​