Collaboration between the Universidad Católica de Plata and the Universidad Católica de las Misiones.
December 2025
by Andres Peregalli Vice Coordinator of Uniservitate
The context: Facilitating meaningful meetings
As is the case every year, CLAYSS-Uniservitate organized its International Service-Learning Week in Buenos Aires in August 2024. During this week, the Uniservitate global network (service-learning in Catholic higher education) holds a conference with members of the Academic Sounding Board, regional hubs and universities. The purpose is to discuss and learn about institutionalization experiences, specific service-learning initiatives whilst celebrating our shared faith. These conferences are held every year in partnership with an Argentine Catholic university, providing an opportunity to continue fostering relationships and experiences at the national level. In 2022 and 2023, the conference was jointly organized with the Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA); in 2024, with the Universidad Católica de La Plata (UCALP); and in 2025, with the Universidad del Salvador (USAL).
In 2024, the schedule carried out with UCALP included a visit to the Santa Clara de Asís centre (a space that brings together the University’s solidarity service-learning activities: https://www.ucalp.edu.ar/la-universidad/extension/centro-santa-clara-de-asis/), an activity at the University’s premises (focusing on institutionalization processes, its strengths and challenges), and a visit to the Cathedral of La Plata city and the celebration of the Eucharist.
For the morning activity, attendees from different regions of the world were previously invited to send children’s stories. These were illustrated by professionals from the UNCALP and the UNaLP (Universidad Nacional de la Plata) and narrated to the children at the Centre on that day of the visit. This project resulted in the recently published book Relatos del Mundo (Stories from around the World): https://repositorio.ucalp.edu.ar/handle/UCALP/986
The meeting: Inspire and be inspired
There were many interactions during these days, but this article focuses on one that motivated and fostered strong inter-institutional relationships between UCALP (La Plata, Argentina) and UCAMI (Universidad Católica de las Misiones, Misiones, Argentina). The experiences from those days inspired and motivated subsequent specific initiatives linked to the institutionalization of solidarity service-learning, notably the contact established between two key participants: María Wlasiuk, Secretary of UCALP Extension Department, and Verónica Poenitz, former Academic Secretary of the Faculty of Human Sciences and current Director of the Mama Antula Solidarity Service-Learning Centre at UCAMI. Working in contact with their respective rectors (Rita Gajate, Rector of UCALP, and Ana María Teresita Foth, Rector of UCAMI), they exchanged experiences, projections, and challenges regarding the institutionalization process. In October 2024, María Rosa Tapia (Uniservitate, General Coordinator) travelled to Posadas to attend the second Research and Outreach Conference, which focused on solidarity service-learning and how it can contribute to achieving a holistic approach to education and management (Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciGqlUg10UE [in Spanish]).
The rewards: Identity as a shared path
These connections and exchanges helped shape decisions and actions in various settings because, when processes are shared with others (discussed), they lead to new insights, ideas, and evaluations. Hearing about others’ experiences inspires us and encourages us to critically examine what we do and how we can improve.
As part of UCAMI’s institutional trajectory, a young higher education institution with a 13-year history, it was decided to create CAYSS, the Mama Antula Centre Solidarity Service-Learning (UCAMI, Higher Council Resolution No. 106-2025). It would concentrate the University’s learning and solidarity service-learning activities. This centre seeks to combine « theory with practice through a community-service approach, promoting active engagement between universities and society, encouraging the training of committed professionals and knowledge production applied to local issues. This reaffirms the university’s commitment to the comprehensive development of the region » (Res. CS No. 106-2025).
Thus, the experience of meeting, listening and discussing gave way to practical and specific decisions that materialized the hopes and intentions of joining hands, minds and hearts to educate students and manage the institution.
The network: A polyhedron inspiring hope
Pope Leo XIV states in his Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope (2025) that « Christian education is a collective endeavour: no one educates alone » (3.1) and that service-learning is a shining star that contributes to building hope (8.1).
This letter refers to the desire to walk together, listen and implement decisions that, in the context of the organization history and identity, open up particular paths but connect with others, with « something bigger, » with networks that produce meaningful service-learning experiences for students.
It also speaks eloquently about women leaders, rectors and secretaries of extension departments, who enable and manage change with a strategic vision, in community, encouraging actions based on profound inspiration. These are courageous women who open doors to the marginalized (Pope Leo XIV, n. 2.3, 2025).
Recording, describing and systematizing these experiences helps us examine inter-institutional collaboration for the institutionalization of service-learning in Catholic higher education and draw inspiration from it. This is something that the Uniservitate Global Network has contributed to and wants to keep doing. We encourage readers to explore the initiatives, get inspired and inspire others.
Images of the activities carried out by the Mama Antula Centre (UCAMI) in the Miraculous Medal Chapel.
Images of the activities carried out by the Mama Antula Centre (UCAMI) in the Miraculous Medal Chapel.
