M.E.S.A.

Participants will live and learn with their roommates, suitemates, and significantly interact with both program directors. Participants will live in designated suites in McCarthy Hall. In return, participants in the MESA community will be expected to actively engage in a variety of methods to learn about themselves, their community, and ways to initiate change.

The MESA Community will work with their directors to develop and sign a Service and Action Learning Community Housing Agreement. This will provide guidance for the governance of the participating suites. The standards will address issues of daily living and methods for resolving conflicts.

Our Mission Statement
To educate and form men and women for others through a living and learning environment.  Through direct personal contact with the marginalized of our local and global community, resident students will lead efforts to create a more faith-filled and just society by serving others.

MESA Expectations

• Participate in one group service project per month
• Attend two, one hour-long MESA meetings per month. One meeting will be based on the MESA curriculum and one will be a group reflection meeting.
• Return to McCarthy one day before the halls open to attend MESA Orientation
• Maintain a reflective journal which will be submitted in periodically
• Participate in a minimum of 3-5 service hours per week
• As a suite, organize one group service project per month, update the MESA bulletin board, and lead one group reflection meeting (once per semester)

Individual and Group Opportunities for Service through MESA

Guadalupe Homeless Project

Prepare and serve meals for homeless men in a downtown LA community while interacting with the men and learning about their lives

Hunger Banquet

An LMU sponsored event that imitates famine and hunger around the world

Ballona Wetland Clean-Up

Spend a day helping to restore the habitat of the Ballona Wetlands and learn ways to decrease your daily environmental impact

Bread & Roses Café

Act as wait staff for homeless men and women in Venice in a restaurant-like atmosphere in place of a traditional soup line

El Espejo Mentoring Program

Become a mentor for middle-school, at-risk youths through individualized quality time and relationship-building opportunities

If you are interested in M.E.S.A. for the 2008-2009 academic year, please fill out the online application. When completed, please return them to the Student Housing Office, Leavey 6, Suite 101.

For further information please contact: