Service Learning Program - St. Mary's Ryken High School

Service Learning Programs

Using Our Gifts to be the Hands and Feet of Christ

The mission of the SMR service program is to teach and prepare our students to love others as Christ loves us.

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” - Mother Theresa

Service is

“Service is the act of giving of oneself to others in need. Service can also mean being a good steward and caring for the creation of God. Service is an act of love and of mercy, but also one of justice.

Sharing a gift
Recognizing a human need and filling it with a personal gift
Charitable act
Corporal works of mercy
Works done FOR others
“Life-changing activities”

“When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice…” (St. Gregory the Great, Regula Pastoralis)

“The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor [...] The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2447)

Female St. Mary's Ryken High School student working with a younger student

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you? And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

— Matthew 25: 34-40

What is Service Learning?

Service-learning is an instructional strategy that combines meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. Students improve their understanding of theological themes by applying what they learn through our theology curriculum to the real world. Students then reflect on their experiences to reinforce the link between their service and their learning.

The Pillars of Service Learning

The Pillars of Service Learning

Service-learning includes preparation, action, and reflection…

Preparation: Preparation includes being able to connect your service opportunity to material presented in your SMR theology classes. Preparation also includes exploring the meaning of Solidarity and how to identify the needs of the community. Advocacy is considered preparation but can turn into action.
Action: Students engage in purposeful service-learning experiences. Students engage in meeting a recognized community need through direct or indirect service.
- Direct Service: Students have direct contact with those they serve.
  - Examples of Direct Service include tutoring, serving meals, visiting, providing care, etc.
- Indirect Service: Students engage in a service activity without having direct contact, often to channel resources to help alleviate a community issue.
  - Examples of Indirect Service include, hosting food and clothing drives, organizing walk-a-thons and fundraisers, organizing in environmental projects, etc. (These hours will be limited and only count for those who were directly involved in the planning/executing these events. For Example: participating in, walking, or volunteering at a walk-a-thon or fundraiser will not count toward your service learning hours.)
Reflection: Students contemplate and evaluate the service action and its impact on the community and on themselves.

Service-learning is not the same as...

Volunteerism

Volunteers engage in service for a variety of personal reasons. They do not necessarily link their service to academic studies nor do they receive academic credit for their efforts.

Community Service

People engaging in community service do so for a variety of reasons. This is a broad term that can encompass court ordered, stipended or volunteer service. It also does not necessarily link to academic studies.

Work Study Internship

Student interns frequently work at for-profit business to benefit the financial standing of that

business. They are not necessarily working to improve their communities through these internship experiences. There can be overlap between work study internships and service-learning. Students are engaged in service-learning if through their internship experiences they work to improve the health or welfare of their community while linking this to their academic studies.

Campus Ministry

Service Learning Themes

Each year Campus Ministry will provide themed opportunities catered to each class. Students can participate in any of our service opportunities no matter their class and are not required to complete the hours associated with the theme by the end of the assigned year (see service requirements).

Freshman

Theme: Based on the Catholic Social Teaching regarding: “Preference for the Poor and the Vulnerable” Patron Saint of the Poor: St. Gemma Galgani

Approved Service Opportunities:

Caritas Meals on Wheels
Homeless Shelter
Tutoring to the underprivileged
Food Pantry/Bank
Angel’s Watch Women's Shelter (Charles County)
Three Oaks Men’s Shelter (St. Mary’s County)
Veterans Home
Cedar Lane Senior Living Community

Sophomore

Junior

Theme: Based on the Catholic Social Teaching regarding: “Life and Dignity of the Human Person”

Patron Saint of the Dignity of the Human Person: St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Approved Service Opportunities:

Veterans Home
Cedar Lane Senior Living Community
Cemetery of the Innocent
CareNet Pregnancy Care Center
Caritas Hope Bundles
Meals on Wheels
Work in a children's home (This does not include daycare or services like a daycare)
Ronald McDonald House
Hospital (Please get approval before this service opportunity)
Angel’s Watch Women's Shelter (Charles County)
Three Oaks Men’s Shelter (St. Mary’s County)

Senior

Theme: Based on the Catholic Social Teachings regarding: “Rights and Responsibilities”

Patron Saint Of Rights and Responsibilities: St. John Henry Cardinal Newman

Approved Service Opportunities:

Re-entry Program (SMCSD)
Warm Registration
Mary’s Meals
Caritas Mobile Food Pantry
CareNet Pregnancy Care Center
Habitat For Humanity
Red Cross
Work in a children's home (This does not include daycare or services like daycare)
Veterans Home
Cedar Lane Senior Living Community
Ronald McDonald House
Hospital (Please get approval before this service opportunity)
Tutoring to the underprivileged
Angel’s Watch Women's Shelter (Charles County)
Three Oaks Men’s Shelter (St. Mary’s County)

Senior Service Project

Students may choose from one of three projects to fulfill the reflection portion of their Service-Learning and be eligible for graduation. Examples of these projects can be reviewed in Campus Ministry (Rupert Hall).

Visual Presentation:

Create a 10-minute visual presentation with pictures of the sites/locations and the people Christ served through you. Create a pamphlet with the information a student would need to volunteer at the sites/locations. Share in the pamphlet two scripture verses that pertain to the service done. You will present the visual presentation to a panel of teachers (as assigned by Campus Ministry), discuss how serving others has helped form you during your high school career, answer questions and distribute pamphlets to all teachers.

Scrapbook:

Create a 20 (two-sided) page scrapbook to be displayed in Campus Ministry (the use of creative technology is welcomed when approved by Campus Ministry). This book should include at least 40 pictures (from 3 different sites) with descriptions beneath each photo. For each service sight, please include all information a student would need to volunteer. Three pages are to be a reflective essay. The essay should be double-spaced, 12 Times New Roman font with one-inch borders.

Reflection Paper:

Write a six-page paper describing your experience of being the hands of Christ by serving others. This paper is to be double-spaced, using 12 Times New Roman font with one-inch borders.

Service Requirements

Students have from the fall of their freshman year through the first semester of their senior year to complete their service hours. We do not accept hours prior to the start of freshman year. Unless listed under the service themes above, before participating in a service opportunity, it should be approved by a member of the Campus Ministry Team. We do not guarantee that your hours will be approved if you do not speak with her first.

All hours must be completed by the March of the student’s senior year to meet their graduation requirement.

Class of 2028 Requirements
Class of 2027, 2026, 2025 Requirements

Class of 2028 Requirements

Students must obtain the assigned hours in the following categories:

Option for the poor and vulnerable - 15 hrs.
Care for God’s Creations - 15 hrs.
Life and Dignity of the Human Person - 15 hrs.
Rights and Responsibilities - 15 hrs.
General Volunteering - 15 hrs.
- Examples:
  - Volunteering at a museum
  - Summer Camp (non-paid positions)
  - Altar Serving
SMR Community Service - 15 hrs.
- Examples:
  - Helping out at school events, i.e. - Open House, Knight for a Day, admissions, Summer camp, Freshman Experience, etc
  - Helping as a retreat leader
  - Assisting faculty and staff with task outside of class time

Although some of the service themes/opportunities overlap, you can only log a service opportunity under one theme. For example, If I work at a homeless shelter, I can log the opportunity under “Option for the Poor and Vulnerable” or “Life and Dignity of The Human Person,” but not both.

Class of 2027, 2026, 2025 Requirements

Students should have a combination of 65 hrs. in ANY of the following categories; however, the maximum hours to meet the graduation requirement may not exceed 15 hours under the general and SMR community service categories.

Option for the poor and vulnerable
Care for God’s Creations
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Rights and Responsibilities
General Volunteering- 15 hrs.
- Examples:
  - Altar Serving
  - Summer Camp (non-paid positions)
  - Volunteering at a museum
SMR Community Service- 15 hrs.
- Examples:
  - Helping out at school events, i.e. - Open House, Knight for a Day, admissions, Summer camp, Freshman Experience, etc
  - Helping as a retreat leader
  - Assisting teachers with task outside of class time

Hours Not Accepted

Hours Not Accepted

If you are not sure your hours will count or the activities are not listed on our website, be sure to speak with Campus Ministry before participating and logging hours. We do not guarantee that your hours will be approved. The following is a list of activities that will not earn hours. This is a not an exhaustive list:

Doing yard work for family or friends.
Babysitting
Anything you get paid for
Managing a team
Any activity you get a grade for
Playing on a team
Performances (unless they are outside of the scope of the class. Please speak with Campus Ministry for approval)

Tracking Hours

Tracking Hours

Students track their hours on our MobileServe App. We encourage students to log their hours immediately after completing their service opportunity. We will not accept hours a year past the service date. For example, students, during their senior year, should not attempt to log hours from their freshman or sophomore.

Students should log in to the app using their school email address and password. Once you have opened the app, click that you would like to log in using your gmail account. There you will type in your SMR email and password.

Transfer Students

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