Immersion Program

Open to all students

Cost: Free

Participants in the San Jose Urban Plunge will learn about poverty, homelessness, and hunger in San Jose. Students will volunteer at local non-profit agencies such as Sacred Heart Community Service and Sacred Heart Nativity School where they will meet and talk with people who live in poverty. They will prepare a meal and eat with guests at a soup kitchen; they’ll have conversation with homeless women and men from the Downtown Streets Team; and in solidarity with our homeless sisters and brothers, they will spend the night at a church in downtown San Jose. Throughout this service work and conversations, they will learn about the root causes of poverty and what can be done to address them. Time will be spent in prayer and reflection so that when our experience comes to an end, the impact that it has on our lives will only have just begun.

Open to Juniors & Seniors

Est. Cost: $1,300

Students will attend a three-day learning experience in Washington D.C. with over 1,000 high school and college students to strategize ways on confronting issues of injustice, poverty, and oppression both nationally and internationally. During the trip, students will attend presentations on current events connected with Catholic Social Teaching and dialogue with keynote speakers and organizations about how to effectively respond to the justice issues of our day. The pinnacle event of the Teach-In will be Advocacy Day, when students will meet with their representatives on Capitol Hill and advocate on behalf of the poor and vulnerable communities. This is a dynamic and faith-filled educational experience that focuses on serving marginalized communities through reflection, prayer, networking, and advocacy. This is a great opportunity to be inspired, challenged, and supported by a community that sees faith and justice integrally linked and learn how to put these components into action with our Presentation community.

Open to Frosh only

Cost: Free

This daylong immersion experience is specially designed for freshmen to experience homelessness and poverty in San Jose. We will spend part of the day at Sacred Heart Community Service - the recipient of our Holiday Drives donations. We will also prepare and serve dinner at Loaves and Fishes, a community center for homeless women and children in East San Jose.

Open to Sophomores only

Cost: Free

During this daylong immersion experience sophomores will learn more about food justice and earth stewardship. Students will spend their morning volunteering at Veggielution, which is a 6-acre non-profit community farm dedicated to creating a more sustainable food system in San Jose. Veggielution empowers youth and adults from diverse backgrounds to change the way they think about food by getting their hands in the soil, connecting with the land and tasting the fruits of their labor. The farm engages the community by providing access to healthy and local food, creating leadership opportunities, and developing creative solutions to social and environmental justice issues.

Est. Cost $700

Located in Tahoma, WA, L'Arche Tahoma Hope belongs to an international organization and community started by Jean Vanier in France. It is home to people with and without developmental disabilities. This immersion trip provides students an opportunity to engage with our brothers and sisters through community-building activities and daily farm work. Mutual relationships and trust in God are at the heart of the L'Arche community. Tahoma Hope celebrates the unique value of every person and recognizes our need for one another.

Open to Juniors & Seniors

Est. Cost: $700

Jesus says to us, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."- Matthew 25:45.

Following this calling students from Presentation and Bellarmine will travel to Nogales, Arizona to work with Kino Border Initiative (KBI). This organization was founded by the Jesuit order to serve immigrants who have recently been deported back to Mexico. Students will cross the border during the day to serve in KBI's soup kitchen and women's shelter. Students will also have an opportunity to visit a federal courtroom to witness the process of an immigration hearing. Finally, they will travel out into the desert to deliver water and emergency kits that could make the difference between life and death for immigrants. At night students will stay in Nogales and participate in bonding and reflection time. This collaborative trip with Bellarmine will give students the opportunity to explore their perspectives on immigration and live out God's calling to serve the least of thee.