About Service & Justice Trips
During service and justice trips, select students documented their experiences and dedicated time to deeply reflect upon the profound impact these trips had on their personal growth and perspectives. These reflections serve as catalysts for heightened awareness, spurring students to channel their experiences into meaningful actions within our communities.
West Virginia
Yasmine, accompanied by fellow Bluejays, visited Wheeling, West Virgina, to learn about sustainability efforts and the rich history throughout Appalachia. The group worked in several community gardens and learned about environmental degradation and food injustices in the area.
“One of the reasons why I love doing the SCSJ service and justice trips is because we really try and focus on the fact that service can look different, and it can be accompanying people and their experiences,” says Yasmine.
Twin Cities
Aidan leaned into homelessness advocacy during his fall break service and justice trip to the Twin Cities. He and his fellow Bluejays were guided around the city by formerly unhoused individuals from the A Day in the Life program with Agate Housing.
“The fact that service is so available and it’s so easy to get involved in, I think really speaks volumes to who Creighton is as a University,” says Aidan.
Milwaukee
Maria Gabriella “Maga” Luca traveled to Wisconsin, for a fall break service and justice trip with Casa Romero Urban Plunge. She provided service through food centers and gained new perspectives on urban social injustices. At night she and her fellow Bluejays came together for deep reflection on the experiences.
“I think service is important because it helps to build community and to experience other realities that we’re not connected to in our daily lives,” says Maga.
El Paso, Texas
Arthur Deseck, Ella Hiddleston and a group of fellow Bluejays, explored the complexities of immigration firsthand. As they served at a local shelter, engaging with border patrol agents, lawyers and families, they gained diverse perspectives on the immigration process.
“I've been on a lot of these trips, and I can genuinely say they've changed my life,” shares Arthur. “They've changed my perspective, how I view myself, others and my career.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Service & Justice Trips are open to all members of the university. Students of all ages, from every undergraduate school, and even some graduate students, participate in the trips each year. Faculty and staff members are welcome on trips and if they are interested should speak with Cristina Hiddleston at the SCSJ (cristinahiddleston@creighton.edu or 402.280.1295).
Service and Justice are often linked together and called the two feet of social change. Meeting someone’s immediate needs by providing services like food, clothing, housing, education, or an ear to listen, are all important things. Yet, we also want to change unjust social structures that are causing the need for our service to exist. Therefore, we’ve named our program to recognize that service and justice are both equally important for creating a better world.
The price (what we charge) of a full-week Service & Justice Trip is $325. The price for a five-day trip is $185. The cost of each trip is over $500 a person, but we are able to keep prices low because of fundraising and a subsidy from the Creighton Student’s Union.
Even if finances are a little tight this semester, there are still several ways in which we try to make Service and Justice Trips a reality for you. In addition to the regular Service & Justice Trips application, there is a separate scholarship application for students who are looking for need-based financial aid for their trip. If a scholarship does not cover the total amount of the financial need, the SCSJ can also set up a payment plan to spread the payments out over the course of the semester. Finally, we offer half-week trips which cost $185 instead of $325 for a whole-week trip.
On the Service & Justice Trips application, participants rank a variety of social justice issues that they have an interest in learning about. Core Team tries to take the top two to three interests of all participants and match them up with a corresponding site. Unfortunately, because of the size of the program and the number of spots available at each site, we are not always able to guarantee someone’s top choice.
We try our best to split up students that know each other particularly well (roommates, best friends, folks dating each other, relatives…) because it allows participants to meet new people. While this is not always possible, it’s certainly a goal.
All of the Service & Justice Trips are in the United States and within a day to a day-and-a-half drive of Omaha. Your group will likely travel to your site in a Creighton vehicle or rented van.
Each site is different. Groups stay in churches, post-grad volunteer program houses, Catholic Worker Houses of Hospitality, or with community organizations. You will have access to showers and all necessary (though often simple!) facilities. A sleeping bag is a helpful item as participants often sleep on floors with sleeping bags at most sites. More information about specific host site arrangements is given during the General Meetings.
You will not need much for your Service & Justice Trip (clothes and basic travel essentials like toiletries being the main things) and your coordinators will outline your site-specific packing list at the General Meetings. While packing, though, we ask everyone to keep in mind the pillar of Simplicity. One reason is practicality – space is limited in the vans and if everyone packed a large 50-pound suitcase, there would be no room for participants. The other reason is to help facilitate the community on the trip.
We ask that participants not bring cell phones and other personal electronic devices like computers, cameras, or music players. By “unplugging” for the week, participants are able to be fully present to their host site and group. Many participants say that going without a cell phone is a highlight of their week.
Every group has a cell phone for emergencies (and this number is given to parents in case they need to make contact), and there is a single group camera to capture pictures of the entire group. We cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items brought on trips. We ask that you leave anything too expensive to lose at home.
Every academic year, Creighton students, faculty and staff need to complete the Children and Vulnerable Adults training if they want to do service with children or vulnerable adults. Since all Service & Justice Trips have the potential for working with children or vulnerable adults, it is necessary to require the training. If you have already completed the training this school year for another Service & Justice Trip or with a different club/organization, you fulfill the requirement. Check out the Office of Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance website to take the online training.
SEEDS Documentary
Over Fall Break 2015, the SCSJ sent photo journalism major, Nico Sandi, and former graduate assistant, Mike Rios, on a trip to capture footage of our students at their host sites across the country.
The pair had the chance to interview participants, community partners and program alumni, and as a result, put together a mini-documentary about the Service and Justice Trips in hopes to tell the story of the program and its impact over the years.
SEEDS Documentary Trailer
