Solidarity-Immersion Trips invite students to live Rockhurst University's Jesuit mission, a mission articulated in the former Jesuit Superior General Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach's seminal 1997 speech, a portion of which is etched into the stone of Rockhurst's bell tower:
"Students must let the gritty reality of this world into their lives so they can learn to feel it, think about it critically, respond to its suffering, and engage it constructively."
These weeklong experiences, which involve cultural immersion activities, relationship-building, and daily prayer and reflection, move students to a deeper understanding of Rockhurst's mission to form women and men to be for and with others. Extensive trip preparation and follow-up lead students toward the lifelong path of becoming women and men for and with others. Destinations for 2026-2027 will include:
October 22 – 24, 2026 (Fall Break)
Focus: Social Determinants of Health
- Rehabbing houses
- Feeding the hungry
- Extending care to KC's unhoused population
- Gardening to raise crops
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Partner Agencies:
January 4 – 11, 2027 (Christmas Break)
Focus: Community-Engagement, Catholic History
- Working alongside Salvadoran college students on community-improvement projects
- Touring historical Catholic sites (Salvadoran martyrs, Saint Romero)
Location: San Salvador, El Salvador
Partner Agency:
January 5 – 11, 2027 (Christmas Break)
Focus: Housing Insecurity, Wealth Transfer
- Building a house
Location: Belize City, Belize
Partner Agency:
January 17 – 20, 2027 (MLK Break)
Focus: Civil Rights
- Visiting important historical sites in our nation's struggle for civil rights
Location: Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma, Alabama
Sites:
Note: To enhance student learning about the US civil rights movement, this trip will be accompanied by an 8-week, 1-credit course in the spring semester.
March 6 – 13, 2027 (Spring Break)
Focus: Rural Health Outreach/Screening/Education
Location: Dominican Republic
Partner Agency: Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC)
Note: This trip is only open to J1 - S2 nursing students
March 7 – 13, 2027 (Spring Break)
Focus: Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor
Location: New York, New York
Partner Agencies:
Applications due Friday, October 2, 2026. Application coming soon! Scholarships are available. Email Bill Kriege, Director of Service & Action, with questions.