by Sheena Claire C Bayeta, KKP Senior Volunteer

Jesuit Education as a tool to serve others is what the Collaborative Service Learning Program (CSLP) is about.  As a curriculum-based outreach program, it is offered to students in partnership with Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana-Social Involovement Office (KKP-SIO) and the different departments of the University. It provides a venue for Dialogue Education in which the expertise of students is integrated into actual community engagements in the form of research/thesis, feasibility studies and course projects. The students’ engagements in the community are linked through the five impact areas of the Research and Social Outreach Office namely, Good Governance, Peace and Order, Environment, Food Security and Health.

After one semester of CSLP area work, the program officers and student volunteers of KKP facilitated a processing session on Sept 28 to 150 students from Computer Studies, Chemistry, Biology and Civil Engineering who have been engaged in Service Learning Projects. The processing session was anchored on the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, particularly on the aspect of Experience, Reflection & Action. It aimed to help the students draw out their significant learning from their experiences of working and interacting with the community.

The First part of the Processing Session was the recollection of students’ Service Learning (SL) journey where they were given time to look deeply into their experiences by journalizing their reflections and sharing them with other participants. Their reflections focused on three points namely, significant experiences, learning and challenges or call to action. The second part consists of a deepening of their experience given by the KKP Program Officers. The input captured the students’ reflections on how to harness one’s expertise or profession to serve the needs of marginalized communities. Furthermore, it emphasized three important attitudes or values of Ignatian formation suggested by Fr Pedro Arrupe, SJ namely, to Live Simply, to not profit from unjust structures, to Change unjust structures.

This semester’s CSLP participants are expected to present their final outputs to their partner communities and other stakeholders to culminate their engagement. All CSLP project outputs will be showcased in the annual Collaborative Service Learning Program Summit during the Social Consciousness Month in February.