The Appalachian Experience offers an experience of community that serves with and for others. Rooted in the pillars of community, kinship/solidarity, education, reflection, justice and encounter, APEX sends hundreds of students to more than 10 communities in Central Appalachia each year. The Appalachian Experience offers an experience of community that serves with and for others.  

The Appalachian Experience (APEX) is a Spring Break service/immersion program that is committed to serving with and for others, while learning about the culture and concerns of the people of the Appalachian region.  Participants will meet together several times throughout the year for preparation, education, and community-building, all of which lead toward the spring break immersion experience in which they seek to learn, serve, and grow in relationship with the communities in Appalachia that they encounter.  Upon returning from Appalachia, participants meet several times to continue to reflect on and integrate their experiences, both within the SJU community and into their individual lives.