Experiences within and beyond the Hendrix community in which students are engaged in helping meet the social, environmental and spiritual needs of our time.
Overview
To meet this requirement, students must arrange to do service projects for social agencies, service organizations, or faith communities directly involved in providing resources, goods, political access, or other services in response to serious human and environmental problems. Odyssey credit requires a minimum of 30 on-site service hours, exclusive of any service work done as a part of a New Student Orientation Trip or the Explorations course. The student’s hours of service must be verified on a log sheet provided by the Odyssey Office and signed by the on-site supervisor or Hendrix sponsor. At the completion of the 30 hours, all log sheets must be turned in to the Odyssey office in order to receive Odyssey credit.
The 30 hours need not be completed in one semester or in consecutive semesters. They may be spread among several projects and over a four-year period. Opportunities exist for students to complete service hours by participating in, for example, Hendrix College mission trips, summer service fellowships, internships, and service-learning courses, as well as by volunteering with various organizations and agencies listed in the Odyssey Office. Students may also initiate service projects through other agencies and faith communities. Students who initiate service projects themselves must seek prior approval from the Odyssey Office in order to assure that the project is appropriate for Odyssey credit.
In addition to completing at least 30 hours of service, students must participate in a reflective exercise or set of exercises in which they analyze the social, ethical, political, environmental, personal and/or religious implications of what they have seen and undertaken through their Odyssey service experience. These reflective exercises may be in the form of journals, more formal papers, or structured discussions during or after the service experience, as arranged or approved by the Odyssey Office.
Click here to learn more about keeping a journal.
The Hendrix Lilly Vocations Initiative has a list of volunteer service organizations that may be of use in planning your Service to the World Odyssey.