​SLU-Madrid gives a global spin to service

Katie Gortz reports on Saint Louis University’s community-focused approach....

Saint Louis University-Madrid students from half a dozen different countries prepare and distribute sandwiches to those sleeping on the streets of Madrid. While the homeless people eat, the students initiate conversation with each of them as a show of respect for their dignity. The students who founded the initiative stress that everyone deserves to express themselves, be heard, and feel cared for. Entitled “A Talk Through a Sandwich,” the initiative has just received formal sponsorship from ANICE (Asociación Nacional de Industrias de la Carne en España), which will donate the materials needed to prepare the sandwiches.

“This project has created community and raised our awareness of diversity,” reflects co-founder Sergio Bernabéu. “We provide the homeless, ignored by most of society, with food and show them respect through human contact and conversation. We keep them company and listen to them. Meeting people from different backgrounds, each one with their own unique life story, makes us see everything from a different perspective.”

The spirit of service is part of what makes Saint Louis University and its Madrid Campus distinct. For the fifth consecutive year, Washington Monthly ranked Saint Louis University No. 4 in the United States for community service as part of its 2015 College Guide. The Washington Monthly ranking for service measures the level of student participation in volunteer activities, as well as the amount of institutional support committed to outreach efforts, among other criteria. In addition to the No. 4 ranking for service participation, SLU was also commended for the amount of staff resources, academic courses and financial aid devoted to service.

In addition to service opportunities on the campus in St. Louis, MO, SLU also offers dozens of community service opportunities at the campus in Madrid, Spain. Between the two campuses, University volunteers contribute more than one million service hours annually. According to a recent University survey, 80 percent of SLU students volunteer at least once during an academic year, which is well above the national average of 60 percent. Nearly half are regular volunteers, providing service multiple times a month.

The extensive community-service program in both St. Louis, MO and in Madrid, Spain distinguishes SLU from other universities serving their communities in the United States. With students from 65 different countries at SLU-Madrid, both the student volunteers and the populations they serve take on global dimensions. Students of different faiths and nationalities mentor hearing-impaired children, distribute sandwiches and provide companionship to Madrid’s homeless and teach free English language courses to hundreds of locals.

At SLU-Madrid, students routinely identify community service engagements to be among their most meaningful experiences while studying in Madrid. Their testimonials are available at www.slu.edu/madrid/campus-life/activities-and-even....

Service and community engagement are also essential parts of SLU’s academic experience. Between the two campuses, more than 80 courses directly integrate service into academic content. Students enrolled in Theology 2515 Social Justice at the Madrid campus, for example, learn about charity and justice through action by working with people in need in the Madrid community.

Student profile
Elizabeth Bole (USA) – Engineering and Technology

I am an aerospace engineering student at Saint Louis University. During my spring semester of 2014 in Madrid, I had the pleasure of volunteering as an English as a Second Language teacher at Julíán Marías Colegio Público. I volunteered with two different sections of the 1st grade and 6th grade classes. I spent 30 minutes with each classes – two classes on Monday and two on Thursday.

I enjoyed every minute with the kids. Not only was I able to teach them some of my Texan colloquialisms, they taught me a lot of Spanish. With my older classes, we played games that pushed them to expand their vocabulary. With the young children, I assisted the teacher in her daily teaching activities, such as performing skits with the children to increase their understanding of new vocab.

This was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn from the Spanish students and for them to encounter the English language from a native speaker.

About Saint Louis University – Madrid Campus

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is a Jesuit institution with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri and Madrid, Spain. SLU-Madrid, founded in 1967, offers fully-accredited American degrees that can be completed in Spain or combined with studies in the United States. The student body is a multicultural community of approximately 750 students from over 65 different countries.

SLU-Madrid is home to students from across Spain and around the world. The language of instruction is English, although opportunities abound for students desiring immersion in Spanish language and culture. SLU-Madrid offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, both on and off campus, including trips that deepen students’ cultural understanding of Spain or that complement their studies by taking them to destinations around Spain and Europe, and to Africa.

Accreditation: SLU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The University also has attained accreditation from appropriate professional bodies for specific programs: engineering programs are ABET accredited and business programs are AACSB accredited.

Setting: SLU-Madrid is located in an ideal setting, on the northwest side of the city, with open views of the mountains to the north and west, and superb metro (subway) and bus access.

Value: SLU-Madrid tuition fees are around 40 percent lower than those at comparable universities in North America. All new degree-seeking applicants are considered for Madrid merit-based scholarships. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have completed the FAFSA may be eligible for SLU need-based aid.

For more information about SLU-Madrid, visit www.slu.edu/madrid