Service Requirements

Juniors and Seniors

Juniors are required to complete 20 hours of service. Seniors must complete 40 hours of service. In addition to these hours students are required to write a reflective journal or essay on their service experience.

Suggestions for service projects are provided by the Ignatian Service Office throughout the school year through the announcements and the website. We encourage students to begin to participate in service opportunities as soon as possible. The Ignatian Service Office will NOT assign students to projects but will gladly help the student find the appropriate site for his talents and availability. Meetings can be set up with the Ignatian Service Office during the student’s free periods.

What Is Acceptable Service?

Any service program sponsored directly by Saint Joseph’s Prep (e.g. Summer or Spring Break Service trips, Pre-Prep, any CSC project, Gesu Tutoring, Soup Kitchens, North Philly Outreach Projects) is acceptable. A student’s participation in such a program should always be verified by someone at the site or the Prep moderator of that activity.

Verification of Service Hours Completed

Verification of a student’s participation in a Prep sponsored program will be provided by the director or moderator of that program. After completing the program, the student has no further obligation to verify his involvement although the Ignatian Service Office always would like to be kept aware of all the good things each student is doing.

When hours have been fulfilled in a program not directly related to the Prep, a formal letter must be sent or given to the Director of the Ignatian Service Program as verification that the student did indeed fulfill his hours.

This letter MUST:

Be typed on the outside organization’s letterhead or sent from an official email address;
Indicate the exact days and hours of work;
Explain what type of work was performed;
Include the signature, position, and phone number of the supervising person; and
Be received by the Ignatian Service Office as soon as the project is completed.

Where appropriate, a brochure or description of the program is always beneficial. Letters that do not follow this format will not be accepted. Hand-written notes from parents will not be accepted. It is NOT the responsibility of the Ignatian Service Program Staff to call to confirm hours. It is the student’s responsibility to hand in the appropriate documentation by the appropriate deadline.

Letters should be sent to the following address:

Director of Ignatian Service Program
Saint Joseph's Preparatory School
1733 Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Deadlines

All required service hours and/or verification letters must be completed by April 15, 2011.

Any hours completed after that date, without communicating with the Director of the Ignatian Service Program, may not count.