Community Engagement
Academic Programs
St. Julie Billiart Summer Community Service Fellowship
Summer community service fellowships are available for Emmanuel students in their freshman, sophomore and junior years to spend 11 weeks carrying out community service projects in Boston while receiving free on-campus housing and a stipend. Specifically, the St. Julie Billiart Fellowship offers a stipend of $2,000 to a student to work full-time with an organization affiliated with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
During the summer, the students involved with the summer community service fellowship program will live in campus housing and function as a small living/learning community. Students will be provided with housing for 11 weeks (May 20-August 4) and will be expected to spend 10 of those weeks living on campus and working on the project. They will also be expected to attend weekly dinners together facilitated by a member of Emmanuel staff. Members of the faculty will also occasionally join them.
The application process for the summer community service fellowship program happens in the beginning of the spring semester. Please check the MySaints portal for more information or contact Mark Harrington at harringtonm@emmanuel.edu. Emmanuel students in their freshman, sophomore or junior years are eligible to apply, and they must first meet with Mark Harrington in order to be nominated to apply. The fellow will also be required to write a report/reflection on their project, to be submitted at the end of the summer.
Emmanuel Roots - First Year Seminar (Fall)
Emmanuel's Roots: Belgium to Boston and Beyond
This course will examine the many and deep roots of Emmanuel College. It will begin by examining the European roots of the founding of the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1804 and continue by describing the sociology and cultural geography of Boston, the Catholic Church and the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1919 when Emmanuel was founded.
A field trip to the North End of Boston to see the historic sites and the roots of the Sisters of Notre Dame's first mission in Boston in 1849 will be included. The course will then examine the current global mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame in twenty countries of the world to which Emmanuel is connected. It will focus on the countries, including the U.S. and Kenya, where recent Emmanuel graduates serve as N.D. Americorps/Mission Volunteers.
A field trip to South Boston will be included to see where Emmanuel students and Sisters of Notre Dame work with immigrants on the local level. Walking tours of the Fenway and Longwood neighborhoods will be included so that students can learn about the world-class institutions which have been Emmanuel's neighbors for ninety years.
Catholic Social Teaching - Service Learning Course (Spring)
This course will provide an introduction to over 100 years of Catholic social teaching, using papal encyclicals and pastoral letters from the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, primarily. Analysis of the documents and critiques of the teachings will also be used. Each of the documents will be grounded in its sociological, political, economic and religious context. A service learning component will be included in the course introducing students to service to people in poverty in the Boston area. The mission of national and international Catholic social justice organizations will also be highlighted.
Alumni Involvement
Young Alumni Club Service Trip (May)
New this year, the Center is collaborating with the Young Alumni Club of Emmanuel College. The group will be traveling to New Orleans and working with an organization called "St. Bernard Project", which rebuilds homes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Young Alumni Club includes graduates of the last decade (2002 - 2011). Please email Mark Harrington, harringtonm@emmanuel.edu, for more information about this program.
Notre Dame Mission Volunteers - Americorps
Notre Dame Mission Volunteers AmeriCorps members work to empower the economically disadvantaged and oppressed through education and personal hands-on support. They tutor children and adults (literacy, GED, and ESOL), organize after-school enrichment activities, serve with community organizations, and facilitate conflict resolution. AmeriCorps is often referred to as the domestic Peace Corps, and brings together a variety of people dedicated to social justice and service to others. NDMVA serves in about 20 cities in America and also has programs abroad in Kenya and Peru. NDMVA is a year-long commitment and accepts people who are 21 or older. NDMVA is a great chance to make lasting relationships, have new experiences, and get things done for our country.
Resources
The Center for Mission and Spirituality acts as a resource for the greater Emmanuel College community to learn more about our unique Catholic identity and the charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Please browse the resources below to learn more about Emmanuel.
Videos
Watch the Founder's Day Address and other Center for Mission & Spirtuality videos!
"They Killed Sister Dorothy"
If you are interested in renting ‘They Killed Sister Dorothy' please email mission@emmanuel.edu to check on availability.
Articles
Read Meditation on a Bi-Centennial.
To learn more about the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, please visit their website: sndden.org.
