PRAXIS: College Nine and College Ten's Service Learning Organization
Praxis is an organization geared toward community building and social justice. The themes of College Nine and College Ten, International and Global Perspectives, and Social Justice and Community, are implemented in PRAXIS. Students from both colleges are encouraged to join. Each month Praxis members engage in a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout Santa Cruz county and neighboring communities. During the Praxis campus meetings, students learn about and discuss the issues facing these diverse communities.
Typical volunteer projects include the following:
- Participating in a food sort with the Second Harvest Food Bank, an organization which distributes food to families in need
- Volunteering with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's programs-The Light the Night Walk and Pennies For Patients
- Speaking to local middle-school and high school students about the importance of service
- Creating Valentine cards for Jacob's Heart, an organization serving families of children with cancer
- Organizing a blood drive with the American Red Cross
- Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to help build a home for a needy family
PRAXIS is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about what it means to be agents of social change. For more information, please contact Abbey Asher at aasher@ucsc.edu.
For students seeking a more in depth volunteer experience, see Esprit de Corps, College Nine and College Ten's Service-Learning Course for credit. If interested in a week-long service experience over spring break, see Alternative Spring Break.