By J1 Reporter Ashley Keenan

Helping out in the community by volunteering is important to Marian because it helps to strengthen the core values. Marian has six core values which are community, service, spirituality, Marian identity, empowerment and compassion. 

These core values teach people to always love and care for others. “One obvious core value is service because students are called to ‘use [their] gifts and talents for the betterment of others;’ the girls are putting their faith into action to begin to address injustices in a local way,” Mrs. Amy Bauman, theology teacher, explains.

Many students think the same way about the core values and the current junior theology project. “I think we were assigned this project because we are able to reflect on our faith and how we can put his love into action in the world, and be able to live out this faith through sacraments,” junior Torrey McManus said.

Ms. Sara Greisch, another theology teacher, originally had seen a project like this one being done at Creighton Prep, and thought it was a good idea to do a similar service project. Greisch said, “We started doing this project when I started at Marian in the Fall of 2019.” Greisch also explains how the project at Creighton Prep was not the exact project the juniors at Marian do now, and it has slowly changed over the five years into what it is today.

Juniors at Marian take theology to learn about who Jesus was and try to act like him in everything that they do. “We receive the graces of the sacraments, but we are called to act as Christ’s hand and feet in the world. We are to live out faith through loving action,” Bauman said.

 The juniors were given the option to choose where in Omaha they would like to volunteer with the other two or three members in their groups. Students picked all sorts of different service projects like working in food pantries, animal shelters and organizations in Omaha like the Open Door Mission. McManus and her three group members, for example, are going to the Heartland Hope Mission to help them sort toys for kids. 

Over the month of November, students were also asked to do research on their chosen organizations and present them to their fellow classmates. Students were instructed to find certain facts and important information about their facility like the organization’s mission statement, vision, history and location(s). To further understand what the organization is all about, the teachers recommended that the students should interview someone who works there or volunteers regularly. 

Another objective for the project is to interview someone who is “a light to the world and lives out their faith in a meaningful way.” This person can be a coach, teacher, or just someone who truly lives their life to the fullest. 

The third part of the project is to help out in the Marian community. These acts of service can be things like writing thank you letters to teachers and staff, creating goodie baskets, or writing encouraging messages to other students. This builds community within the building and can help spread kindness throughout the school.

The next part of the assignment is to write a reflection as to why this impacted each member in the groups’ faith and spirituality. 

Lastly, students are to present an 8-10 minute presentation to the class. The students can present however they would like, for example they can use Google Slides or Prezi. The presentation is to include pictures, interviews and activities that the group members took part in.

Bauman said she enjoys the project because “students have ‘real-world’ experiences and work cooperatively with their classmates to do something positive that spreads God’s love.” She also hopes that her students experience their faith in a new way and are inspired to volunteer again.

Overall, this project builds community in Omaha and in Marian. Marian Juniors can help volunteer and show kindness, which build core values like service, community, and compassion.