Three weeks of preparation include introduction to geography, social stratification, and recent history of Eastern Kentucky. Special attention is given to socioeconomic causes of poverty and to the generationally conditioned character of the poverty Appalachia. Students are introduced to Catholic Social teaching through the pastoral letter of 1977, This Land is Home to Me. Each fall, 15-16 students travel to Eastern Kentucky accompanied a Campus Ministry staff member and another faculty or student services member to stay at Camp Andrew Jackson. Each day includes a period of group reflection on the day's events wherein students can assess the process of their building community together in order to become a community of service and talk of the impact of their experiences in Appalachia.
Students keep a journal while they are on the trip.
Three sessions prepare students for their work in Jackson County. Students live at the CAP volunteer residence. Similar to the November Appalachia trip, time is given to reflection and journaling. Interested students apply to Campus Ministry. Selection is based on parity of males to females, an adequate or balanced representation from each class, and possession of adequate skills for the trip, including some rudimentary carpentry skills, ability with music and group leadership.