Leaven Team | University of Portland

Leaven Team

The application for the Summer 2022 Leaven Team is open now! Apply by March 25th at 11:59 p.m.

Leaven Student Leaders plan, organize, and lead a pre-orientation immersion experience for students interested in Campus Ministry. Incoming first-year students come to campus for four days and three nights in July, and student leaders provide an experience of life on campus, especially a window into ways to grow in faith while at UP.

Leaders on the Leaven Team take responsibility for a variety of tasks to prepare for and facilitate the immersion. A few examples:

  • Facilitating a small group
  • Offering a student talk
  • Planning times of prayer and reflection
  • Planning fun community-building activities 
  • Coordinating with Campus Ministry groups and staff to prepare programming
  • Supporting liturgies, such as with music for Mass
  • Creating media or printed materials, such as a student reflection guide

Dates of Leaven: Leaven 2022 will take place July 18th-21st. Leaders arrive on the afternoon of July 16th for training and preparation.

Applicant Qualities:

  • Desire to engage, grow in, and share one’s faith life
  • Desire to engage peers and build welcoming community
  • Knowledge of/previous participation in Campus Ministry offerings is helpful
  • Desire to reflect on and encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion at UP
  • Willingness to collaborate with a team as well as to take on individual responsibilities
    • *Please Note: A majority of Leaven planning will take place during the summer months; team members will need to maintain good communication and organizational skills over the summer in order to prepare remotely for Leaven.


Responsibilities and Time Commitment:

  • Attend 1-2 planning meetings at the end of spring semester

  • Contribute to the team’s creative and organizational work prior to the immersion (e.g. coordinating events, inviting student speakers, discussing hospitality)
  • Participate in regular video meetings during the summer and remain in communication with Campus Ministry advisor and team via email
  • Lead the immersion experience from July 18th-July 21st, 2021, providing hospitality to participants and encouraging their reflection on exploring faith life in college
    • Team arrives on the afternoon of Saturday, July 16th before the participants arrive on Monday (July 18th).
    • Team members remain through clean-up at the end of the immersion, around 2:00 p.m. on July 18th.
    • Team has lodging in a residence hall with meals provided throughout the immersion.
    • Team engages in regular check-ins and communicates with the Campus Ministry advisor throughout Leaven.
  • Plan and facilitate a reunion event in the fall semester for Leaven participants

Please contact Annie Boyle at boylea@up.edu with any questions.