Students at White Rock Christian Academy took their learning outside the classroom and into the community.<\/p>\n
This is the second year that White Rock Christian Academy (WRCA) has organized a Service Week at their school, and this year\u2019s event took place during the second week of March.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity for us to give our students a place outside of the school to learn what it\u2019s like to be in the workforce but also actually serve people,\u201d said WRCA teacher Mike Burge.<\/p>\n
The weeklong event was designed by a WRCA teacher named Laura Lee in 2025.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s bubble.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal as a school is not necessarily to change the world all the time, it\u2019s to change our students. Develop the students to change the world,\u201d said Burge.<\/p>\n
He explains that before this program received its new name Transformational Learning Opportunity Service Week, it was called Mission Service Learning.<\/p>\n
The Mission Service Learning program was set up for students to go to other countries and do mission trips and service that country.<\/p>\n
However, Burge explains that there were a handful of students who couldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
Programs coordinator Alyssa Vanderleik lists the organizations in which the students worked alongside:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Raphael House<\/p>\n
\u2022 Union Gospel Mission<\/p>\n
\u2022 CityServe<\/p>\n
\u2022 Urban Safari Rescue Society<\/p>\n
\u2022 Langley Food Bank<\/p>\n
\u2022 Willows Salvation Army<\/p>\n
\u2022 White Rock Salvation Army<\/p>\n
\u2022 Peace Portal Alliance Church<\/p>\n
\u2022 Timberline Ranch<\/p>\n
\u2022 Peace Arch Veterinary Hospital<\/p>\n
\u2022 A Rocha<\/p>\n
\u2022 UNITI<\/p>\n
\u2022 Elim Christian Care Society<\/p>\n
\u2022 Evergreen Baptist Housing<\/p>\n
\u2022 NightShift Ministries<\/p>\n
\u2022 Gleaners<\/p>\n
\u2022 City Dream Centre<\/p>\n
\u2022 New Hope Community Services<\/p>\n
\u2022 Argos Pet Ranch<\/p>\n
\u2022 Washington Kids Foundation<\/p>\n
\u2022 Cloverdale Community Kitchen<\/p>\n
Grade 11 student Ricky Zhang shared with Peace Arch News his experience working with NightShift Ministries<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNightShift 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,\u201d said Zhang.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s aim is to try and help these people on the streets.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve learned from this experience that the homeless people are not bad people,\u201d said Zhang. \u201cA lot of people think that they\u2019re out on the street because they deserve it, because they are horrible people. But in my case \u2014 after observing them and hanging out with them, it seems that\u2019s not necessarily the case for a lot of them.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Zhang said all meals are free for such individuals, and that NightShift also offers clothing items and supplies.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re always super respectful when they come in and they are some of the kindest and nicest people I\u2019ve ever talked to,\u201d shared Zhang.<\/p>\n Zhang said this experience has allowed him to see these people not as unhoused individuals, but as genuine, real individuals.<\/p>\n Grade 12 student Addison Rehman also had an experience that changed her perspective on life outside of school.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing I learned is that I need to be grateful for everything that I have,\u201d shared Rehman.<\/p>\n Rehman worked with the New Hope Community Service Centre<\/a> in Surrey for her Service Week.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really eye-opening to see how these families thrive, even under the circumstances they\u2019ve been put through,\u201d shared Rehman.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n