Service at PCA

Portsmouth Christian Academy desires that all of our students learn the value of service to their community.  As a school that seeks to follow Christ’s teachings, the mandate to love our neighbors as ourselves compels us to develop opportunities for students to learn how to personally implement this.  This begins with encouraging students to recognize how their life circumstances differ from many who are less fortunate in order to expand appreciation for the blessings of life and cultivate an understanding of the God-directed responsibility to the poor.  Finally, students need to develop a sense of responsibility for their world.  Life does not just happen to you, but you have the opportunity as a made-in-the-image-of-God creation to impact your environment and make the world a better place.

In order to fulfill this commitment to service, PCA will implement a developmental program for community service.  At the youngest grades this will involve students taking responsibility for their immediate surroundings.  Students at these grades might take on responsibility for care of the classroom and halls, a portion of the building or a section of the grounds.  They may serve others in the PCA community.

As the students move into the elementary years, their horizons for service are broadened.  PCA seeks opportunities for students to serve in the immediate community.  Students might sing at elder care facilities or do similar local service projects.

Students in junior high will broaden their service to the greater Seacoast region and perhaps extend opportunities for the entire PCA community to participate with them on their chosen service projects.  Students at this level will have a PCA service project, a local service project and a regional service project.

In the Upper School, service hours are required but each student is given freedom and encouragement to select opportunities for service that meet his or her interests and passions.  Service at the Upper School is extended to an international scope through missions and other global projects.  Students at this level will be involved with PCA, local, regional and international service projects.

As part of a complete service plan, PCA will create a relationship with an international partner.  This will connect the global service of Upper School students with the lower grades (and educational objectives there as well).

In determining service projects for various segments of the school there are two guiding principles.  First, PCA seeks opportunities that create real engagement with people for the students.  Simply raising money or other goods for a project is of significantly less value in this model than opportunities that create interactions with those being served.  PCA particularly seeks opportunities to share both the love of Christ and the good news of real life in him. 

Second, PCA seeks service projects that require intentionality on the part of PCA students.  There are a significant number of worthy causes with which to become involved, but PCA will favor projects that involve student choice and student action.  The teachers and administrators, in approving service projects will show preference to those projects that most indicate connection to both curricular learning objectives and expected student outcomes.