Response-Ability
Encyclopedia
Response-Ability is a non-profit volunteer service program that places college graduates in inner-city Catholic
schools in the US and in other international sites across the United States. It is a member of the Catholic Network of Volunteer Services and is affiliated with AmeriCorps
.
A ministry of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
(SHCJ) grounded in Cornelia Connelly
's educational philosophy, Response-Ability trains, coaches and inspires innovative volunteers
to provide quality education and service in inner city schools and international sites. Living in community, volunteers achieve spiritual, personal and professional growth. Response-Ability's core values are God Among Us, Commitment to Community, and Reverence of the Individual. Its vision is communities modeling reverence for each individual.
, Response-Ability launched its Teacher Service Program in Philadelphia in 1993. Volunteers began to serve as teachers in inner-city parochial school classrooms. This was beneficial to many schools that faced the possibility of closure. In the following years, the program grew to include volunteer houses in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. At the same time, the Holy Child Sisters requested that volunteers work with them in the Dominican Republic and in Chile. These volunteers, mainly women, work in the areas of education, health care
, and social services.
There are currently 10 Response-Ability volunteers serving in Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; and Los Alcarrizos, Dominican Republic
. Volunteers serve in Pre-School through High School settings in positions that range from classroom teachers to music teachers and Montessori assistants. As many volunteers do not have formal backgrounds in education training, they partake in ample professional development throughout the year, including a two week intensive orientation training program and graduate courses in education. Additionally, volunteers go on biannual retreats to reflect and focus on their personal spiritual growth.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
schools in the US and in other international sites across the United States. It is a member of the Catholic Network of Volunteer Services and is affiliated with AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
.
A ministry of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
Society of the Holy Child Jesus
The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is an international community of nuns that was founded in England in 1846 by Philadelphia-born Cornelia Connelly. Cornelia converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1835. The Society was approved in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII, and the rules and constitutions were...
(SHCJ) grounded in Cornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly
Cornelia Connelly , born Cornelia Peacock, was the born founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order...
's educational philosophy, Response-Ability trains, coaches and inspires innovative volunteers
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
to provide quality education and service in inner city schools and international sites. Living in community, volunteers achieve spiritual, personal and professional growth. Response-Ability's core values are God Among Us, Commitment to Community, and Reverence of the Individual. Its vision is communities modeling reverence for each individual.
History
The program began in 1974 as a vocations awareness program for the SHCJ. Sisters would bring college-age students to various sites throughout the US to perform service for three weeks over the summer. Inspired by the work of Teach for AmericaTeach For America
Teach For America is an American non-profit organization that aims to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting the nation's most promising future leaders to teach for two or more years in low-income communities throughout the United States...
, Response-Ability launched its Teacher Service Program in Philadelphia in 1993. Volunteers began to serve as teachers in inner-city parochial school classrooms. This was beneficial to many schools that faced the possibility of closure. In the following years, the program grew to include volunteer houses in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. At the same time, the Holy Child Sisters requested that volunteers work with them in the Dominican Republic and in Chile. These volunteers, mainly women, work in the areas of education, health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, and social services.
Today
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. Volunteers serve in Pre-School through High School settings in positions that range from classroom teachers to music teachers and Montessori assistants. As many volunteers do not have formal backgrounds in education training, they partake in ample professional development throughout the year, including a two week intensive orientation training program and graduate courses in education. Additionally, volunteers go on biannual retreats to reflect and focus on their personal spiritual growth.