Service Before the Semester: F.I.R.S.T. Program Set for 24th Year

Forty incoming first-year students at The University of Scranton will begin their college experience with a week of service, reflection and community engagement through the University’s F.I.R.S.T. (First Years Involved in Reflective Service Together) program.

Now in its 24th year, F.I.R.S.T. brings first-year students to campus approximately one week before the start of classes to participate in volunteer service with nonprofit and community organizations throughout the Scranton area. The students are guided by a team of upper class student leaders and staff members from the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice.

The 2026 F.I.R.S.T. program will take place Monday, Aug. 24, through Friday, Aug. 28, with students volunteering at a variety of organizations and community sites, including the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center, St. Joseph’s Center, NeighborWorks, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank and CHOP Out Hunger. The program will also cohost a community day on Tuesday, Aug. 25, in conjunction with Friends of the Poor/Catherine McAuley Center: Partnership for the Common Good at Novembrino Park in West Scranton.

The program is coordinated by the Center for Service and Social Justice, which provides students with opportunities to engage with community partners, develop leadership skills and connect service experiences with the University's Jesuit mission.

For more information, please email avianna.carilli@scranton.edu or call 570-941-7429.