L.O.V.E.: Social Justice Immersion Experiences

As Manhattan College's social justice immersion program, LOVE provides opportunities for students to learn about justice issues in the communities that are most impacted by them.

  • LOVE Program: Social Justice Immersion Experiences

    LOVE is Manhattan College’s social justice immersion program. Participants learn about social justice in preparation for their experience. On the trips, students are immersed in the local community through experiences with partner organizations. Students are encouraged to bring what they experience back to campus to engage in local service and advocacy.

What is LOVE?

The LOVE program brings Manhattan College students to a specific place to meet with community & nonprofit organizations, and spend the whole day engaging with justice issues relevant to the residents who live there. Our evenings are spent together in group reflections. Participants engage in simple living and are encourage to step outside of their comfort zones. 

Experiences

Join us for an upcoming LOVE social justice immersion experience.

  • Winter 2023: El Paso

    LOVE El Paso, Texas

    • Saturday, January 6th to Saturday, January 13th

    El Otro Lado (EOL) El Paso, is a Catholic Lasallian border immersion experience hosted by Cathedral High School. EOL provides participants the opportunity to experience the El Paso and Ciudad Juárez borderland. This program exposes participants to the harsh realities faced by our brothers and sisters that come from “El Otro Lado” (the other side) through visits to local nonprofit organizations and government agencies.The main goal of EOL is to have students listen to the stories of those impacted by living in the borderland.

    • The group will be crossing the border into Mexico during the week.
    • The cost to participate will be $1,000 and includes all meals, lodging, travel & activities. There will be opportunities for both group & individual fundraising efforts to help offset the cost. If you have any questions or concerns about trip finances please email love@manhattan.edu

    Requirements for student participants in LOVE El Paso:

    • Applicant must be a Manhattan College student in good academic and judicial standing with the college and good financial standing with the LOVE program.
    • Commit fully to the program following the first mandatory orientation meeting.
    • Participate in 1 orientation meeting, 12 pre-trip weekly meetings, the week-long immersion & 3 post-trip weekly meetings. Each meeting is 1.5 hours long.
    • Participate actively in group, team & individual fundraising efforts.
    • Plan a post-trip project with your team to help engage the campus community with the city and justice issues you learned about. 
    • Have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your last day of travel
  • Spring Break 2024: Dominican Republic

    LOVE El Cercado, Dominican Republic

    • Saturday, March 9th to Saturday, March 16th

    We are spending one week in El Cercado with San Pedro y Pablo which organizes and empowers a network of faith-based communities. We will meet with community members and organizations focusing on health, agriculture, and education. Our group will learn about the work that the local community members are doing to enhance education, protect natural resources, illuminate their self-dignity, advocate for social justice, and promote equality and basic rights in their community.

    • The group will be spending one week in the far Western portion of the D.R., just ten miles from the Haitain border.
    • The cost to participate will be $1,200 and includes all meals, lodging, travel & activities. There will be opportunities for both group & individual fundraising efforts to help offset the cost. If you have any questions or concerns about trip finances please email love@manhattan.edu

    Requirements for student participants in LOVE Dominican Republic:

    • Applicant must be a Manhattan College student in good academic and judicial standing with the college and good financial standing with the LOVE program.
    • Commit fully to the program following the first mandatory orientation meeting.
    • Participate in 1 orientation meeting, 12 pre-trip weekly meetings, the week-long immersion & 3 post-trip weekly meetings. Each meeting is 1.5 hours long.
    • Participate actively in group, team & individual fundraising efforts.
    • Plan a post-trip project with your team to help engage the campus community with the city and justice issues you learned about. 
    • Have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your last day of travel
  • Summer Break 2024: Chicago

    LOVE Chicago

    • Saturday, May 18th to Saturday, May 25th

    The Brother David Darst Center provides transformative urban immersion experiences in the Catholic Lasallian tradition. Through partnerships with local agencies, participants are able to get to know people, to challenge stereotypes, and be open to new experiences. As a participant, you are fully immersed in urban life and are able to see the social injustices that are prevalent in American cities and reflect upon the root causes. Key issue areas for this trip include Restorative Justice, Economic Justice and Immigration.
    Estimated Trip Cost (after group fundraising): $400-$600
    The group will drive to and from Chicago

     

Apply

Application Procedure:

  • LOVE El Paso
    • In order for your application to be considered, you must complete the application form below and make your $30 trip deposit here under the "LOVE Trip Participant Payments" section.
    • The application deadline is Sunday, October 1st at 11:59pm.
    • You will be contacted about your acceptance to the program on Thursday, October 5th. The mandatory trip orientation session will take place during the week of October 8th.
  • If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Conor Reidy at conor.reidy@manhattan.edu or 718-862-7775
  • LOVE Dominican Republic
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Apply Now

Justice is what love looks like in public!

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