Social Involvement
Creating Pathways of Hope with the Social Involvement Program
The Social Involvement Program at Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu is more than a curriculum—it’s a journey to shape leaders grounded in compassion, service, and the Jesuit ideals of being “men and women for others.” Anchored in Ignatian spirituality, our programs create Pathways of Hope for students and communities alike.
Our Social Involvement Program strives to:
- Foster spiritual growth, deepening students’ connection with God and aligning service with faith
- Serve and advocate for the marginalized, empowering students to walk with and uplift those on the fringes of society.
- Empower youth by nurturing leadership and social engagement, cultivating tomorrow’s changemakers.
- Promote environmental stewardship and sustainability, connecting social justice with the care of our shared Earth.
Our work centers on four key areas, which students and community members tackle together to drive meaningful change:
- Literacy and Education
Breaking barriers in education through literacy programs, reading initiatives, and tutorial support. - Youth Empowerment for Nation Building
Leadership training, mentorship, and skill-building programs that inspire youth to be responsible citizens. - Health and Nutrition
Improving well-being by promoting health awareness, providing medical support, and emphasizing nutrition and mental wellness. - Environmental Stewardship
Hands-on projects that foster ecological responsibility and respond to environmental challenges affecting the community.
Our Social Involvement Program nurtures students at every stage, guiding them to become compassionate leaders and active members of their communities.
- Service Interactions (K-G4) to Build Empathy and Responsibility: Simple, hands-on activities introduce students to empathy, respect, and responsibility toward others.
- Service Engagements (G5-G9) to Deepen Awareness and Connection: Service activities deepen social awareness and encourage regular participation in meaningful outreach.
- Community Immersion (G10-G12) to Cultivate Leadership and Advocacy: Students take on leadership roles and immerse in real-world community challenges, developing into advocates and allies.
- Blue Plate Project “Nourishing Hope, One Plate at a Time” – Through daily meals, we support malnourished children in local schools. Our students help with feeding operations and lead wellness workshops for parent volunteers.
- Summer of Service Program – Our (15 years old and above) students dedicate a portion of their summer to work at alumni-run establishments. Half their earnings fund scholarships for gifted students from underserved communities.
- EcoLux – Inspired by Laudato Si’, EcoLux turns waste into opportunity by repurposing school items into resources for those in need, merging environmental care with compassion.
- Hope Sessions – Teachers bring storytelling sessions to local communities, sparking children’s hope and strengthening reading comprehension while building lasting connections.
- Kapwa Ignacio – Kapwa Ignacio connects students with parish outreach initiatives, bringing Ignatian spirituality to life through parish partnerships and shared service activities.
Your contributions help fuel our mission to serve and uplift our communities. Choose from our ongoing initiatives below to make a difference today.
- Blue Plate Project: Nourishing Hope, One Meal at a Time
For just Php 4,500, you can provide a nutritious meal for a student every school day for the entire year. With your support, our Blue Plate Project offers healthy, balanced meals to 356 malnourished children in three local schools, helping improve their focus, well-being, and potential for success. Together, we can combat malnutrition and pave the way for brighter futures.
- Hinabang Ko, Halad Kang Maria: Supporting Our Community in Times of Need
Inspired by the Ignatian spirit of generosity, this fund provides essential aid to Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu teachers, staff, and their families. Your donation, no matter the amount, goes directly to those in need, offering medical assistance and emergency relief during unforeseen disasters. Extend a helping hand and be part of this community of compassion.
- Christmas Drive: Sharing the Holiday Spirit with Our Beneficiaries
For Php 700, you can sponsor a Bundle of Joy packed with essentials, treats, and gifts for children and families in need. These holiday bundles bring comfort and hope to families during the festive season, making them feel remembered, loved, and cared for. Celebrate the true spirit of Christmas by bringing joy to others.
Help us keep creating pathways of hope. Every donation directly supports our work, making a lasting impact on our community.
THE SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM
The Social Involvement Program of Sacred Heart School Ateneo de Cebu embodies the school’s vision of being an animated learning community with and for others, guided by Ignatian spirituality. Animated by a faith that does justice, the program is committed to forming men and women for others, individuals of character and competence, who create paths of hope in the world. Through experiential learning and a spirituality of service, the program cultivates a commitment to social engagement and fosters practical skills and critical thinking. It inspires transformative education, prompting reflection on values and beliefs, leading to personal growth and a deepened commitment to positive change. By engaging with the community and promoting collaboration, the program strengthens relationships, drives social progress, and empowers participants to become agents of transformation in their communities.
OBJECTIVES
The Social Involvement Program aims to:
- foster spiritual growth by providing opportunities for students, teachers and staff to encounter and deepen their relationship with God. Through prayer, reflection, and discernment, the school community will develop a deeper understanding of how their service is an expression of their faith and a way to encounter God in all things.
- serve and advocate for the marginalized, vulnerable, and excluded from society. The program aims to address the root causes of exclusion and promote social justice by actively engaging with marginalized communities and individuals. It seeks to create spaces for encounter, solidarity, and empowerment, enabling participants to walk with those on the margins.
- engage and empower the youth as both participants and beneficiaries of the program. The program shall foster their personal and social growth by providing opportunities for leadership, mentorship, and skill development. The programs shall be structured to guide students towards becoming agents of change in their communities and fostering their holistic development.
- promote environmental stewardship and sustainability, raising awareness about the interconnectedness of social justice and environmental issues. It shall encourage students, teachers and staff to care for and protect our common home through projects and initiatives that address ecological challenges and promote responsible practices.
FRAMEWORK
The Social Involvement Program (SIP) is a dynamic and purpose-driven initiative that goes beyond conventional social work. Rooted in the profound principles of Ignatian spirituality, the program seeks to embody a transformative role in society and becomes an integral dimension of an Ateneo Heart’s learning process.
- Rooted in the Ignatian spirituality
- A concrete affirmation and application of its transformative role in the society
- An integral dimension of an Ateneo Hearter’s learning process
Core Advocacies
- Literacy and Education: We are committed to enhancing literacy levels and educational opportunities, believing in the transformative power of education for personal and community development.
- Youth Empowerment for Nation Building: Our program focuses on empowering the youth through leadership development, mentorship, and skill-building initiatives. We aim to nurture young minds to become agents of positive change in their communities, contributing to nation-building and fostering responsible citizenship.
- Health and Nutrition: Ensuring the holistic well-being of our communities is a priority. We actively promote health awareness, provide access to medical services, and emphasize the importance of nutrition for overall physical well-being. Additionally, we recognize the significance of mental and spiritual health in promoting inner balance, resilience, and a sense of purpose.
- Environmental Stewardship: Recognizing the interconnectedness of social justice and environmental sustainability, we engage in projects and initiatives that promote responsible environmental practices and raise awareness about ecological challenges.
- Literacy and Education: We are committed to enhancing literacy levels and educational opportunities, believing in the transformative power of education for personal and community development.
Student Formation
The social involvement program is designed as a ladderized approach with various levels of community exposures, allowing students to progress from basic interaction to deeper, meaningful engagement. Each level offers age-appropriate opportunities to connect with others, broaden social awareness, and contribute to addressing community challenges. This structured program aims to cultivate empathy, civic responsibility, and leadership skills, fostering a lifelong commitment to positive social impact.
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- Social Interaction – K-G4
Basic involvement where students participate in introductory outreach activities, focusing on casual and direct interactions with the community.
- Social Interaction – K-G4
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- Social Engagement: G5-G9
Active and regular participation in structured outreach activities, demonstrating a deeper level of commitment and contribution - Community Immersion: G10-G12
Full integration into community outreach, with significant involvement and leadership in various outreach projects and initiatives.
- Social Engagement: G5-G9
SERVICE INTERACTION
K: Caregiver’s Appreciation Day – Household yayas and drivers are invited during the assembly for a service interaction. Pupils are expected to spend time playing games and performing song and dance numbers for them or do talent interactions with them.
SERVICE ENGAGEMENT
G7: Compassion in Action – Grade 7 students (12-13 years old) are led to recognize the steadfast presence of God in the lives of his people, not only in the past, but most importantly in their everyday lives. The unconditional love, faithfulness, and compassion of God to humankind, especially “the least, the last, and the lost” will be put into action through interacting with the sick and the elderly in Gasa sa Gugma.
G8: Love Enfleshed – The Love Enfleshed program aims to foster a positive transformation in the relationship between humans and the natural world. Rooted in sustainable practices and ecological awareness, the program emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life on Earth. Inspired by Pope Francis’s Laudato Si, it embodies ecological stewardship, care for the planet, and solidarity with the poor. Through house visits and meaningful interactions with the Lower Tipolo Homeowners Association, Inc., an urban poor community, students aim to share ecological encounters and inspire actions toward caring for our common home.
Gr9: SIMBAYAN – The SIMBAYAN Program aims to enrich the spiritual development of public school pupils while offering Grade 9 students (14-15 years old) an opportunity to engage in meaningful service and leadership roles as youth catechists. Through carefully designed sessions and interactive activities, this program has the potential to create a positive impact on both the learners and the community involved.
COMMUNITY IMMERSION
G10: SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM: The Service-Learning Program (SLP) is part of the Grade 10 CLF course offering with the aim to provide students (15-16 years old) the opportunity to share their knowledge while appreciating their capabilities as mentors to younger pupils (Grades 6) in the public school. Working within the framework of “education as a human capital,” SHS-AdC invests in tutorial sessions with the hope that the Reading lessons of the SLP would enhance the learners’ (recipients) grasp of their lessons particularly in terms of reading comprehension
G11: PATHS TO HOPE: Building Faith and Connections – This program is a transformative initiative designed by SHS-AdC Ateneo Hearters to empower and uplift children in conflict with the law. Through a holistic and compassionate approach, this program is dedicated to nurturing hope, instilling faith, and fostering meaningful connections in the lives of its beneficiaries. The program’s main goal is to rekindle hope in envisioning a brighter future amidst past challenges.
Gr12: COMPANIONS IN SERVICE: EMBRACING THE MARGINS WITH FAITH AND JUSTICE – The program emphasizes the importance of companionship, service, and finding God in all things. By assisting childcare development workers in Balay Bantayan with their daily routines, our students will ensure the growth of the kids in their care while understanding the motivations of community volunteers and seeing champions of service, even in a dumpsite setting.
INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMS
- Blue Plate Project – It is a school- based Feeding Program (SBFP) that aims to provide free mid-day meals to wasted (low weight for height) and severely wasted (severe acute malnutrition) preschool and grade school pupils in selected beneficiary schools in Mandaue City. Students, teachers and staff assist in daily feeding operations and provide capacity building activities for the parent volunteers.
- Summer of Service Program – It a volunteer work exposure for students aged 15 years old and above. Volunteers work on various establishments and industries from the Alumni Association for 4 hours per day for 1 month. Half of the salary earned by the volunteers goes to the scholarship fund for academically gifted students in selected partner schools
- The EcoLux draws inspiration from Laudato Si’, caring for our common home, through sustainable practices like recycling and repurposing. Various discarded items from the school serve as an opportunity for environmental stewardship. By repurposing items like furniture, books, and equipment, we extend the lifespan of these goods, ensuring they become sources of renewed hope and opportunities for those in need.
- Hope Sessions – In the spirit of fostering hope and addressing reading comprehension challenges, our “Hope Sessions” initiative brings teachers into various partner communities. During Hope Sessions, our passionate formators engage children in captivating storytelling, carefully selected to enkindle hope and ignite their imagination. Beyond literacy enhancement, these sessions create opportunities for meaningful encounters, where young minds share their hopes and dr
Kapwa Ignacio – Kapwa Ignacio is a program cultivating meaningful partnerships with the church and parish, embodying the Ignatian spirit of being good neighbors. Classes, teachers, and staff actively participate in outreach activities that extend a helping hand to our church and parish. With a focus on introducing Ignatian spirituality, the program fosters a shared commitment to reflection, discernment, and justice among our school community and partner beneficiaries by providing recollections for them
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