Leading an Immersion Project provides a significant student leadership opportunity and a chance to create a rewarding and life-changing learning experience for the participants involved.
Overview
The success of these trips depends in large part on the commitment level of the project leader. Leading a trip requires a significant time commitment: prior to the trip (recruitment, training sessions, trip participant meetings, educating yourself on the issue); leading the trip; and after the trip (post-trip reflection and activities). Please carefully consider your availability and commitment but also know that you will not be left alone in this endeavor. With each step, staff at the CPS Office will support you in your efforts to understand the social justice issue you are learning about and to lead the group to a better understanding of that issue. In addition, each Project Leader will be paired with a Project Mentor, a faculty or staff member from Gettysburg, who will assist you in facilitating the trip.
The Project Leader receives $500 off the cost of their project. This financial assistance is offered to provide opportunities for student leadership development and to encourage participation in Immersion Projects.
Responsibilities of the student leader
As a Project Leader, you are committing to the following. All of these are mandatory and will require you to plan or adjust your schedule to be able to prioritize these activities and events. This commitment is approximately 3 hours per week, which can be completed in the CPS Office.
Before the immersion project
- Participation as a student leader in GIV Day (Training: TBD; GIV Day: TBD)
- Recruitment for your trip, including the EXPO (Date TBD).
- Regular meetings with your Project Mentor prior to your pre-trip meetings.
- Researching the issue/location and organizing an educational curriculum for participants prior to the project. These six education and training sessions are designed to prepare the group for the experience. This includes both building group cohesion and beginning to educate the group about the social issues and history of the site.
- Facilitating the six pre-trip meetings.
- Participation in weekly meetings with all Project Leaders throughout the fall (Thurs, 11:45am-1:00pm).
- Regular attendance at a biweekly dialogue group is required.
nGender (Tues, 11:45am-1:00pm) or eRace (Fri, 3:45pm-5:00pm)
- Attendance at the All Participant Orientation.
- Make sure all student participant forms are handed in on time.
- If possible (if leader has a valid driver’s license), all leaders of domestic trips will be asked to become Gettysburg College passenger van certified.
During the immersion project
- Facilitating the Immersion Project, including the following:
- leading regular reflection activities for the group.
- managing group dynamics.
- working with the Project Mentor to ensure adherence to schedule, budget, and policies.
- Take pictures for CPS to use in future publications.
- Be a strong peer contact for all participants during the project.
After the immersion project
- Convening the group post-trip to organize an activity that extends the project in some way. It could be an educational event that brings the issues you learned back to Gettysburg. It could be a fund raiser to support the work of the organization you partnered with. It could be an article in the paper, a film screening, or a blog.
- Compose a report of the project, noting any mishaps, suggestions for the future, and highlighting the group’s favorite activities.
- Meet with a CPS staff member to review your project report.
Project leader application form
Please download and complete the form, then submit it to the Center for Public Service.
Student leader application form (DOCX)
Send your completed form to Immersion_Projects@gettysburg.edu by April 16, 2021.