Brophy College Preparatory expects students to be living examples of “faith that does justice.” Service hour requirements ensure that students are experiencing encounters with people from all walks of life and with a variety of needs. The Catholic tradition holds dear its belief in a preferential option for the poor and that we encounter Christ more powerfully in the “crucified people” of the world. Therefore, freshmen, sophomores and juniors are required to engage in service, seeking justice for others and conversion in themselves.
Freshmen will participate in the Frosh Experience which is comprised of the Freshman Retreat, Special Olympics Game Day and Freshman Breakaway.
Freshman Retreat The Freshman Retreat is an overnight on-campus retreat early in the school year that introduces Brophy's newest students to Brophy and its Jesuit traditions of faith, service and justice.
Freshman Breakaway Brophy’s Freshman Breakaway experience is a combination retreat and service immersion project working with the St. Vincent De Paul Foundation or Desert Mission Human Services for a full day of service and reflection. Duties may include serving lunch; distributing clothing, toiletries and diapers to clients; repairing bikes to be distributed to Valley youth; unloading donation trucks on the docks; sorting donations in the warehouse and serving the evening meal. Work throughout the day is balanced with reflection time in the chapel at St. Vincent De Paul or Desert Mission. Students are not only asked to reflect on who they meet and what their experiences are, but they are also asked to engage in a social analysis project where they imagine themselves experiencing the lives of the working poor.
Special Olympics Game Day During the spring semester, the freshman class invites Special Olympians to campus for a full day of fun and friendship. Students with special needs come from many public and private programs and schools in the Valley. Working with their Big Brothers, freshmen provide a safe, fun environment for their new friends. Activities such as basketball, relays, a dance party, table games and skill stations provide an opportunity for Brophy students to engage with their guests and offer friendship, support and solidarity.
The service requirement in sophomore year is composed of 40 hours of service, along with two written reflections during the experience. These 40 hours of service must be completed through an organization that provides the student with an opportunity to work directly with children.
As Men for Others Brophy sophomores are encouraged to volunteer their time and build relationships with children in the community. In addition to the considerable good that students can contribute to the lives of the children they encounter, mentoring relationships also provide Brophy students with insights into the lives of teachers, parents, coaches, and children. Through these new experiences, students learn about different worldviews and begin to understand the people that hold them. This is an important component of Jesuit community service and solidarity.
The preferred project for sophomores is Loyola Project, which the student can complete during the summer, fall or spring semester. Brophy has strong relationships with local Catholic and public elementary schools that rely on us to tutor and mentor their students. The Office of Faith and Justice believes that working with children in an educational setting helps Brophy sophomores foster a sense of responsibility to be there for a young child and a joy in sharing their Brophy education with another person.
Brophy Juniors will complete 40 hours of social justice and education-related work through the Ignatian Encounter program. Juniors will complete this 0.5 credit “class in the community” with a student cohort for reflection and a faculty guide to help them analyze their experiences working with the larger Phoenix community.