Module 4: Our St. Louis / Madrid Community

Each module of Cura Personalis 1 has a required element - for Our St. Louis / Madrid Community, all students must participate in an off-campus learning experience.  This could include taking a tour of a museum, engaging in a short service project, visiting a local non-profit or community organization, etc.  Please note that instructors can either organize this participation together as a class, or students can individually participate in an experience of their choosing.

Below are other potential topics, class activities, and readings to utilize to help students achieve the learning outcome for Module 4.  These are potential - faculty are welcome (and encouraged!) to seek out other resources to implement.

All activities and readings referenced below are available on the Cura Personalis 1 curriculum resource page.

Potential Topics:

• History of St. Louis/Madrid

  • General history review

  • St. Louis City/County dynamic (White Flight/History of race relations)

  • History of SLU and Slavery

• Justice Issues in St. Louis/Madrid (choose one)

  • Racial Justice (Delmar Divide)

  • Immigration Justice (International Institute, Welcome Neighbor STL, etc.)

  • Criminal Justice Reform

  • Food Justice (SLU Campus Kitchen)

• Community Engagement (Non-profit or service agencies review via CSCE)

• Civic and Cultural Resources of St. Louis/Madrid   

Potential Activities:

• Off campus experience (Required)

  • Tour of local non-profit agency

  • Tour of historically black cemeteries

  • Forest Park

  • Museums (History, Art, etc.)

  • Grand Center Arts District (Fox Theatre, Grandel, Powell, etc.)

  • Minority-owned business visit (restaurant, store, etc.)

  • Other

• Tours of SLU Museum of Art and Museum of Cotemporary Religious Art (MOCRA)

• Guest speaker from Center for Service and Community Engagement

• Poverty Simulation 

• Immigration Simulation

• Guest speaker on selected issue of justice (see above)

• Student panel on recommendations on engaging with St. Louis, sharing service experiences, etc.

• Racial geography tour of St. Louis

• Walking tour of downtown

• Practice riding the Metro/public transit

Potential Readings:

• Charity vs. Justice – Various forms of community engagement

• Address from Fr. Kolvenbach, S.J. at Santa Clara (2000)

• Catholic Social Teaching (USCCB Website)

• In The Service of Life (Author Unknown)  

• Article on Voluntourism

• Laudato Si - Pope Francis' encyclical letter on care for the environment