August 25, 2014
St. Thomas Aquinas High School recently organized and hosted an overnight Leadership and Service Program for rising 7th and 8th graders capturing the essence of Catholic Seacoast Schools’ missions. The program encouraged junior high students to develop the leader potential that rests within each of them.Eighteen junior high students, seven St. Thomas Aquinas High School students, one alumni co-facilitator, and several faculty chaperones, spent three days and two nights engaged with one another through sharing, reflecting, and serving in a caring and fun environment. Community building exercises helped them discover their inner gifts and their unique interests.
REACH encouraged the teens to step gently outside of their comfort zone in order to better understand themselves, prepare to serve others, recognize their place in the world, learn how to make time for oneself and explore ways to develop their own future.
In an effort to better understand service leadership, participants and counselors volunteered at New Generations in Greenland, a homeless shelter for pregnant women and single moms. At the shelter, tasks included organizing a basement, weeding and painting an apartment that is going to act as transitional housing.
Located in Dover, NH, St. Thomas Aquinas High School is a coeducational, Catholic high school community where young people are called to be challenged academically, to stretch their hearts spiritually and to embark on a journey to make a difference. For more information, visit us at www.stalux.org or call (603) 742-3206.
