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These are programs and offices at Holy Cross that help students engage with the surrounding Worcester community in many forms.
J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World
The J.D. Power Center at Holy Cross offers a multitude of opportunities through programs and funding to help students get experience in any field they are interested in. Our favorite part of their office is the Ignite Fund which allows students to make their own own project and obtain funding for it to come to fruition. Our exploration of Worcester and this project would not have been possible without the J.D. Power Center's Ignite Fund and the Weiss Summer Research Program in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Fine Arts!
Donelan Office of Community Based Learning (CBL)
Some classes at Holy Cross pair with and offer direct service opportunities where students get the chance to engage in real world situations pertaining to the information they are learning in class. This an awesome program that Holy Cross offers and we really think students should try and enroll in at least one CBL class during their time on the hill! Also, their office (including Isabelle Jenkins who has been very helpful to us!) is very responsive and kind so be sure to email/call/visit if you have any questions!
Founded by Holy Cross alumni Jeff Reppucci '14 and Derek Kump '14 in 2012, Working for Worcester is a great yearly opportunity to go out in the community and help create something for Worcester residents! From playgrounds to food pantries, W4W takes one day out of the year and creates and improves family spaces in the city. This is such an awesome service opportunity and you'll get a cool shirt and be able to say you were apart of something that helped the community!
Civitas is another website that can lead and offer students to a lot of great programs and opportunities on and off campus. We highly recommend scrolling through their site to find out things that you are interested in. One of our favorite features is Handheld Worcester which leads you to popular Worcester landmarks and teaches you a little about them so if you are ever exploring around, use the site to teach you about your surroundings!
Student Programs for Urban Development
The Student Programs for Urban Development or SPUD provides invaluable volunteer opportunities in the city for children and adults in Worcester. Christian knew that when he came to Holy Cross, he wanted to support the Nativity School of Worcester as he went to a nativity school himself in Brooklyn, NY (Brooklyn Jesuit Prep) and SPUD gave him the opportunity to do so. They have a large variety of programs so be sure to peruse through the extensive list and find the one that is best fit for you!
"I also wanted to use this opportunity to speak to the Holy Cross students directly: I am not from Worcester, I am from New York City- a bigger and, busier city than Worcester. I was not interested in finding out about Worcester and had only heard negative things. I am awkward and shy but I still found people that are awesome and kind and friendly here from just asking around. I would urge you, especially if you are going to spend almost four years of your life here: skip out on at least one or two Saturdays hanging out with your friends in a small, crammed freshman dorm and explore your surroundings. Visit Bedlam Book Cafe and grab a good novel to read it at a bench outside, go to Elm Park and walk over the steep, red bridge, go to an event at the Brick Box Theatre at night and see the cool lights outside, visit one of the hundreds of pizza shops and grab a pie with friends, go skateboarding at the DIY skatepark (if you could find it), visit Main South and eat at a restaurant with a language you do not understand, if you're over 21, meet some people at a local bar like Nick's, make a snowman in Common Park sometime in January: this city has so much to offer and dismissing the whole city as dangerous because of some things you have heard is absurd. There is so much opportunity but it's up to you to give it a chance. Use your time in college to meet people, learn, explore and take risks. Get off the hill." - Christian
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