The Marist Education Ministry - Aotearoa, New Zealand

What?

• A week-long service and learning experience for older adolescents

• Providing a solid, Catholic approach to service and justice that balances Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching, direct service, and helps to develop a justice consciousness.

• Providing the experiences, skills and learning needed to make change possible

How does it work?

• Young Marist Neighbours helps participants both deepen their commitment to the call of the gospel, and work for justice in our world today.

• There are three phases to Young Marist Neighbours:

1. Preparation - application, interview, some basic preparatory reading.

2. Involvement - an intense, week-long experience with a mix of direct service, opportunities for learning and dialogue, cross-cultural sharing, prayer, community building and recreation.

Young Marist Neighbours will help participants experience how poverty and lack of respect for human dignity have impact on the lives of real people.

Young Marist Neighbours offers participants the opportunity to change their perspectives so that they can change their world.

3. Follow-up - Integrating justice into everyday life. Young Marist Neighbours keeps people growing in their commitment to service. Participants will receive assistance resources to take their learning home - developing plans for raising community awareness, encouraging service involvement, and helping young people integrate their new learning into their personal lives.

Who will be invited to apply?

• Year 12 Students .

Twelve students from the National Network of Marist Schools and fout accompanying adults, two of which are graduates of the MaristYouthLeader programme.

Where and when will this happen?

During nominated school holidays at venues that include Kaingaroa Forest Village, Ruatahuna, Parihaka, Ranana, Jerusalem .

How much will it cost?

• The cost will vary, but will generally be about $200 per person. However, this is always negotiable and cost will never prevent a student from attending this programme.

Who will co-ordinate the programme?

• This programme is co-ordinated by Fr Mark Walls SM of the JC Colin Project. He is assisted during the service week by members of the Young Marist Leader group.

THE GOAL OF YOUNG MARIST NEIGHBOURS

‘To provide young people with the opportunity to serve those in need, to learn what the Scriptures and our Tradition say about justice, and to hear the ways that God is calling them to make the Kingdom present in our world.’