- Activities
On Wednesday, November 22, 2023, Catholic Central students participated in the annual GDK service day where they broke off into their homeroom groups and volunteered at different organizations.
“It's just not enough to educate the head but the heart as well. This day is a great community witness to serve our neighbor and for Shamrocks to learn that they can change the world for the better by doing just simple little things for others,” stated Catholic Central’s Principal, Fr. Patrick Fulton, CSB.
The GDK service day is an integral part of the Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge (GDK) program, which focuses on teaching valuable life lessons to students in addition to their academic studies. Each class year studies a different topic, meant to build on each other year after year.
GDK groups meet twice per month – once in smaller groups to discuss their designated topics, and a second time as whole grades in the chapel to hear from CC leaders within the staff and community.
The goal of the program is to teach students the tools they need to help prepare them for success in the real world after they graduate.
Here is the breakdown of topics for each class:
- Freshman: Character
- Sophomores: Service
- Juniors: Influence
- Seniors: Leadership
GDK service days allow students to practice the values they learn in their class discussions. Although 10th grade students are the ones who focus on service for the year, all grade levels participate in the GDK service days as each topic is rooted in giving back. Service days are usually held the day before Thanksgiving.
During this year’s GDK service day, busses transported student and teacher groups to the following locations where students performed community service:
- Forgotten Harvest in Oak Park
- Fleece and Thank You in Farmington Hills
- St. Paul the Cross Retreat Center in Detroit
- Livonia Opportunity Center in Livonia
- Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit
- Home of Serenity in Detroit
- Blight Busters in Detroit
- St. Aloysius Church in Detroit
- Senior citizens in Commerce Township
- District 5 Cleanup in Detroit
- Downriver for Veterans in Wyandotte
- St. Scholastica in Detroit
Meanwhile, various student groups performed in-school service for the following organizations:
- St. Edith
- Leisure Cooperative in Wixom
- Operation Gratitude
- MSU Tollgate Farm (Novi)
- City of Wixom
- Global Health Charity
- Independence Village in Plymouth
- PB&J OUTREACH
- Novi Public Library
- Stronger Warrior
- St. Thomas Church
- Mill Race Historical Village