College of the Holy Cross: The Classroom and Beyond
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With an average class size of 19, faculty members and students engage in ways that bring the subject matter to life. Small class sizes encourage conversation, peer connections, individualized instruction and experience-based learning.
While important work happens in a structured environment, Holy Cross students also engage in active learning outside the classroom walls. Community leaders in Worcester and the larger Central Massachusetts area are critical partners in helping students gain valuable real-world experience through internships and community-based learning opportunities.
Many Holy Cross students participate in study abroad programs that expand their horizons both literally and figuratively. With more than 50 programs at 34 host locations around the world available, Holy Cross ranks No. 1 among U.S. baccalaureate institutions for long-term study abroad programs according to the Institute for International Education. The school also offers domestic semester-away options in New York City and Washington, D.C., that combine academic coursework, research, immersive internships and a capstone project.
Many of the experiential learning opportunities at Holy Cross are offered under the umbrella of the J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World, named for the Worcester native and Class of 1953 alum known worldwide as a pioneer in consumer research and information.
Heeding St. Ignatius’ call to “go, set the world on fire,” one of the center’s most exciting programs is the Ignite Fund, which turns ideas into action. The competitive fund provides financial support for student-initiated entrepreneurial and research projects. Funded projects have run the range from creating a public art piece for Worcester to studying disability rights in Uganda.
SPUD
Student Programs for Urban Development is the largest student-led service and justice organization on campus. With more than 30 diverse community partners throughout greater Worcester, SPUD focuses on four key areas:
• Children and youth
• Poverty and hunger
• Women and girls
• Health care and seniors
Volunteers can match interests and skill sets across agency needs whether that means serving as a tutor, engaging in active play, volunteering in a women’s shelter, preparing or serving food, or sharing conversation with a senior citizen.
Internships
The Office of the College Chaplains assists students with meaningful internships. For students considering ministry as a vocation or as an active layperson, there are opportunities for hands-on, supervised, pastoral ministry over summer breaks or during the academic year.
Ministry internships include a variety of areas of work, including liturgical and music ministry, visitation to hospitals and homebound parishioners, youth ministry, organizing vacation Bible school offerings, preparation of the sacraments and administrative duties. The office also works to place exceptional undergrads in 10-week SPUD Summer Internships working with local social service agencies in Worcester.
Spring Break Immersion
Since its start in the 1970s, this annual event has become one of the largest outreach programs at Holy Cross. Each year, nearly 200 students spread out across the country at approximately 20 sites during the college’s spring break week.
Each experience varies depending on the site and need. One group of students might be doing home repairs in rural Appalachia, while another group mentors students and provides services to the structurally unemployed in an inner-city setting.
Post-Grad
With a heart for service, it’s not surprising that nearly 10% of Holy Cross graduating students provide full-time service work or that the college is consistently among the nation’s top producers of graduates entering the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. A post-grad volunteer fair, held each October, introduces young alumni to opportunities to embark on one- and two-year service commitments with domestic and international programs.
