INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Fundamental to the formation-education ministry of the Institute, the Community Involvement Office (CIO) handles programs designed to assist students, faculty, and staff grow in their apostolic involvement and/or ministry. Community involvement is two-sided; while it renders service to the community, it also facilitates learning and formation for those who render services. These programs are:
a. Exposure Immersion Program
This program, which is conducted at the beginning of every school year, entails 84 hours (inclusive of pre-exposure orientation, travel time to exposure areas, exposure days, and post-exposure processing). In particular, the exposure days provide opportunities for the learners to engage in a dialogue of life with identified sectors who are marginalized.
b. Symposia / Fora
This program updates the learners on the current economic, socio-political, gender, and ecological situation of the country and the larger community. This serves as a venue for discernment in responding to the signs of the times. The CIO closely collaborates with the Solidarity Committee of the Student Coordinating Team.
(picture/s here from Lala’s cam/file)
c. Curricular and Co-curricular Activities
Community involvement is integrated in the curriculum, particularly in courses like the National Service Training Program (NSTP) and Pastoral Approaches to Ministry. Learners spend time in chosen areas where they engage in meaningful encounter with the people.
The Community Involvement Office coordinates extra-curricular activities like Discernment Fora, Mobilizations, Prayer Circles, Ecological Advocacies, and International Women’s Day Activities with the Student Affairs Office and the Solidarity Committee of the Student Coordinating Team.
d. Community Networking and Linkages
The CIO facilitates linkages of the Institute with various government agencies, non-government and church-based organizations, people’s organizations, and other agencies involved in community development. The nature of involvement with the partner communities varies according to the programs and
services rendered and solicited.
e. Community Outreach
Responding to the Church’s call for a preferential option for the poor and desiring to expand its contribution as a community to the bigger society, IFRS will adopt a poor community as beneficiary and partner in working for a just, non-discriminatory, and participative Church and society, witnessing and proclaiming the Biblical imperatives of love, truth, justice, and peace.
