White Rock Christian Academy gives back through Service Week

Students at White Rock Christian Academy took their learning outside the classroom and into the community.

This is the second year that White Rock Christian Academy (WRCA) has organized a Service Week at their school, and this year’s event took place during the second week of March.

Students in Grade 10 to 12 had the opportunity to take a week off of regularly scheduled classes and were instead, placed at 21 different organizations around the Lower Mainland for that week.

“It’s an opportunity for us to give our students a place outside of the school to learn what it’s like to be in the workforce but also actually serve people,” said WRCA teacher Mike Burge.

The weeklong event was designed by a WRCA teacher named Laura Lee in 2025.

Burge shares that Lee and a few other staff members from WRCA wanted to get their students out of the academic everyday school life and put them into the community to see what is outside their school’s bubble.

“Our goal as a school is not necessarily to change the world all the time, it’s to change our students. Develop the students to change the world,” said Burge.

He explains that before this program received its new name Transformational Learning Opportunity Service Week, it was called Mission Service Learning.

The Mission Service Learning program was set up for students to go to other countries and do mission trips and service that country.

However, Burge explains that there were a handful of students who couldn’t attend these trips and therefore, the idea of having something for the students who remain at the school for that week to have the ability to also, give service.

Programs coordinator Alyssa Vanderleik lists the organizations in which the students worked alongside:

• Raphael House

• Union Gospel Mission

• CityServe

• Urban Safari Rescue Society

• Langley Food Bank

• Willows Salvation Army

• White Rock Salvation Army

• Peace Portal Alliance Church

• Timberline Ranch

• Peace Arch Veterinary Hospital

• A Rocha

• UNITI

• Elim Christian Care Society

• Evergreen Baptist Housing

• NightShift Ministries

• Gleaners

• City Dream Centre

• New Hope Community Services

• Argos Pet Ranch

• Washington Kids Foundation

• Cloverdale Community Kitchen

Grade 11 student Ricky Zhang shared with Peace Arch News his experience working with NightShift Ministries.

“NightShift has shown me that even though I am pretty powerless, I can still do my part in trying to make the world a better place,” said Zhang.

NightShift is located in Surrey near the Whalley neighbourhood, and Zhang mentions that this area has people with drug addictions, unhoused and low-income individuals. He says NightShift’s aim is to try and help these people on the streets.

“I’ve learned from this experience that the homeless people are not bad people,” said Zhang. “A lot of people think that they’re out on the street because they deserve it, because they are horrible people. But in my case — after observing them and hanging out with them, it seems that’s not necessarily the case for a lot of them.”

Zhang explained that he worked to help prepare food for individuals who come to NightShift for dinner and he also had the chance to serve desserts, doughnuts, hot chocolate and coffee every day to those in the area.

Zhang said all meals are free for such individuals, and that NightShift also offers clothing items and supplies.

“They’re always super respectful when they come in and they are some of the kindest and nicest people I’ve ever talked to,” shared Zhang.

Zhang said this experience has allowed him to see these people not as unhoused individuals, but as genuine, real individuals.

Grade 12 student Addison Rehman also had an experience that changed her perspective on life outside of school.

“One thing I learned is that I need to be grateful for everything that I have,” shared Rehman.

Rehman worked with the New Hope Community Service Centre in Surrey for her Service Week.

She shares that this centre houses refugee families for 18 months to provide them with a chance to live out of the building and slowly settle into Canada.

“It’s really eye-opening to see how these families thrive, even under the circumstances they’ve been put through,” shared Rehman.

Rehman saw how welcoming the centre makes these families feel, and she had the opportunity to craft, play games and sports with some of the kids on site.

She explains that being in this environment allowed her to see these families that have less, and see that not everyone has the same opportunities that she has had.

Grade 10 student Sarah Kim also had the opportunity to play with kids during her week at Washington Kids Foundation in Cloverdale.

This foundation believes that every kid deserves the chance to compete, connect and care for themselves and others.

Kim said that many of the kids come from low-income families or may have some behavioral issues or something that prevents them from physical activities.

“We were there to grow relationships with the kids and it was honestly, really fun,” shared Kim.

She says that she worked with children roughly ages six to 18 and had the chance to help and shadow coaches while also playing with the kids.

“It really opened my eyes because this foundation works with many kids who don’t have the opportunity to play sports outside of school,” said Kim.

She mentions that one kid specifically stuck out to her, and during their one-on-ones he would share his story.

“Hearing his story and being able to talk to him was really enlightening for me and just gave me perspective on how lucky I am to go to a Christian IB school and play sports.”

All three of these young individuals are among the 90 WRCA students who had the chance to experience a variety of services and community oriented places.

Burge said the goal of Service Week is not just to place students in volunteer settings, but to help transform how they see others and the world around them.

“In reality the goal of this program is that they are transformed, they see what it is to care for someone, to love someone,” said Burge.

He also detailed an experience he witnessed where a worker at one of the locations worked with three teenage boys from WRCA and was amazed by how helpful and outgoing they were, even sharing with Burge that, after that experience, she believes “she can retire now and the world might be OK after all.”

He said many students worked alongside older volunteers who continue to give their time to others, offering an example of lifelong service.

“A lot of them say they learned that these people are people,” he said.

Learn more about WRCA’s service week at wrca.ca/programs/service.