FOR MANY PRIVATE SCHOOLS, the eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C. is a rite of passage before heading off to high school.
But merely sightseeing around the nation’s capital didn’t feel like enough for one parish school. Their student body needed to live their Catholic faith through service.
That’s what happened for Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic School’s eighth-grade class when they went on their first-ever class trip in May to our nation’s capital. The eight students who elected to jump into the service-oriented adventure found themselves providing local “food desert” communities — classified as having limited access to food — with fresh and healthy options.
“We can go, and we can see all the sights and things like that, but they had a whole other perspective added to it by being able to serve and lean into the Catholic social teaching aspect,” said chaperone Andrew Watson, who serves as the school and parish business administrator. “I think it made the sightseeing and history more impactful.”
Vice Principal Erin Watson, who is married to Andrew, said it was her vision to create an overnight trip for the graduating students and have a service element included. But she was also hearing parent requests to have Sts. Simon & Jude start hosting D.C. trips.
After talking it over with Andrew, they decided to combine the two ideas: a mission trip in the capital.
“At that point I was like, yes, that’s what we should be doing, said Erin Watson. “We should be taking the classic eighth-grade D.C. trip but actually making it oriented for a Catholic school and having the service element.”
Changing the traditional trip into a mission service was quite a change, said parent Erin Stuart, whose son Evan went to D.C. But ultimately, the students came back with lasting memories of an amazing experience.
EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT STS. SIMON & JUDE CATHOLIC SCHOOL VOLUNTEERED TO PACK GROCERY BAGS OF HEALTHY FOOD TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THOSE WHO LIVE IN FOOD DESERTS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. PHOTOS COURTESY OF STS. SIMON & JUDE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“This mission trip wasn’t just different,” she said. “It truly challenged the eighth graders, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones and engage with the community in meaningful ways.”
Parent Christa Weber, whose 13-yearold daughter Lily participated in the trip, agreed that the service element was the best way to wrap up their daughter’s Catholic education.
The students volunteered at a food pantry, Martha’s Table, assembling grocery bags of healthy ingredients alongside recipe cards. These bags were then sent to local schools for students to take home and cook a healthy meal with.
GRADUATING EIGHTH GRADERS AT STS. SIMON & JUDE CATHOLIC SCHOOL HELPED WORK IN A FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GARDEN AT A FRANCISCAN MONASTERY THAT PROVIDES FOOD FOR THOSE IN NEED.
“It was pointed out to us that the typical student there might have one school lunch as their only meal of the day and the rest would be candy and soda they can pick up at the grocery store,” Andrew Watson said.
Lily Weber and her classmate Eoin Kerr, 14, noted how the idea of people struggling to access healthy food isn’t new. But for it to happen in the nation’s capital felt surprising. The experience changed both of their perspectives on food.
“It’s definitely a gift,” Lily Weber shared. “I’ve always known that food isn’t something that appears on your table — it’s something that you need to work hard for. That really did open my eyes to the idea that it’s not just one place that’s struggling. It’s everywhere, and you can see it in any economy. It’s not going to go away.”
For Kerr, that first service day they walked out and he was shocked to see how high the need was.
“I didn’t realize there was going to be that many,” he recalled. “When we were finished packing food and coming out, there was a line almost going out the door.”
The students continued their service preparing the soil at a Franciscan monastery that grows fruits and vegetables for its community, and at a Catholic Charities organization that distributes boxes of frozen food and bags of fresh food. The trip created space for many conversations amongst the students about food scarcity, insecurity and gratitude, said Andrew Watson.
“We were able to have these great conversations about how much easy access we have to restaurants and food, and even their parents giving them the money to go buy whatever they want,” he said. “It was definitely a very valuable perspective for them.”
While the students volunteered their time in the mornings, they also saw the iconic sites in the afternoons, like the Lincoln and Washington memorials, the National Mall and the National Museum of Natural History. They also had a private tour of the Capitol Building and attended Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. They also ventured to more quirky locales, like the International Spy Museum, which was a favorite.