Learning that brings students closer to reality
In April, 10th-grade students at Colégio Santa Cruz took part in an experience that combined knowledge, reflection, and direct contact with different realities in the city of São Paulo. As part of the Alfa Track—a program focused on the humanities and languages—the students participated in a program centered on the Parelheiros neighborhood in the southern part of São Paulo.
The activity began in the classroom with a lecture and discussions on social movements, citizenship, and community life, as well as readings from works by authors such as Conceição Evaristo, Lélia Gonzalez, and Carolina Maria de Jesus. The next step was a visit to Parelheiros, where the students learned about community initiatives related to literature, the arts, permaculture, and public health, broadening their perspective on the challenges and potential of the area.
The experience concluded with a group exhibition, in which the students transformed their experiences into texts and artistic works, synthesizing the lessons learned throughout the program and reaffirming the school’s commitment to an education grounded in reality and centered on youth leadership.
Faith That Translates into Solidarity
Also in line with its educational and pastoral mission, Colégio Santa Cruz held its traditional Family Mass, inspired by the theme of the 2026 Fraternity Campaign, which invites reflection on the right to decent housing. The celebration brought together students, families, and staff in a moment of prayer, fellowship, and commitment to caring for others.
In addition to the participation of the Early Years classes—who prepared decorative elements symbolizing the dream that every family may have a home—the celebration highlighted the leading role of high school students involved in the “Housing and Shelter” social action project, developed in partnership with the NGO Teto Brasil. During the offertory, the students presented the initiative and mobilized the school community for a fundraising campaign.
The response from families was immediate: the donations made during the celebration made it possible to build an emergency shelter in the city of São Paulo. The initiative demonstrated how the lived experience of spirituality, when combined with social commitment, can generate concrete actions for transformation, strengthening the values that guide the educational mission of the Congregation of the Holy Cross.
