Service Learning Program

Service Learning 
Our Service Learning program supports one of the four goals of Catholic education: "to teach students to serve others as Jesus did." (To Teach As Jesus Did, USCCB, 1972) Each semester, our students complete a minimum of 7,000 volunteer service hours in a range of activites.  In kindergarten and the primary grades students log the minutes they spend in service in their families.  As students advance, they learn the importance of serving their parish and school.

Middle school students begin to serve the greater Albuquerque community. Our students also volunteer in many ways, for example, trail and trash clean-up; tree planting along the bosque; and assembling meals for citizens in impoverished countries such as Haiti.  Suggestions for service opportunities are provided to the middle school by the school, or the student can make a special request for a particular activity.  Once approved, middle school students have the entire semester to serve a minimum number of hours (there is no maximum). 

Service Awards are presented at the end of each semester to honor students who have met their Service Learning goals. In addition, approximately Holy Ghost students earn the US President's Award for Service each year.

Family Service 
Parents are invited to join other adults in service to Holy Ghost. When your student sees an adult serving our school, he or she sees an example of  how Jesus served others.  Our parents are role models of service to our students. All parents are expected to participate in the Fall Festival and Mardi Gras/$10,000 Raffle.

Service hours for parents should be logged on Sycamore. Go to My School/My Service and enter your information. Thank you for helping us keep track of all the volunteer hours that parents do to improve our school and our community, making it a better place to live, work, study, and plan.

Make a Difference Day 
In addition to “fun-raising,” we offer families the opportunity to serve our school and parish by sharing in maintenance and beautification of our grounds annually on Make A Difference Day.  It’s a great way for parents and children to spend a Saturday morning building community, having fun, and ”making a difference.” After painting, repairing, gardening and cleaning, we share in a community lunch at the school!


Make a Difference Day at Holy Ghost Catholic School