Beyond the Classroom

A new initiative from Unbound helps Catholic-school students learn while serving others.

Global Classmates is an exciting new resource for Catholic schools that can help revitalize a school’s commitment to make a difference not only in the lives of their students, but also globally. Developed by Unbound, it provides a way for students to learn about the realities of poverty and grow in compassion for others by sponsoring children in need.

The concept of Global Classmates is simple. A class sponsors a child through Unbound and, like other Unbound sponsors, develops a relationship with that child through correspondence. The difference with Global Classmates is that there’s also an intentional learning and faith formation dimension in the principles of Catholic social teaching:

• Respecting the dignity of all people
• Loving our neighbors wherever they may be
• Prioritizing the needs of the poor and vulnerable
• Growing in community and solidary with others

To help support teachers and enhance the students’ learning process, Unbound has developed resources that teachers can use with their classes. They include fact sheets, activities, puzzles, games, videos and prayers, as well as suggestions for how to use them. New resources will be added as they’re developed. They’re free and available to anyone at Unbound.org/educationalresources.

Kimberly Klein, a member of Unbound’s parish outreach team and a former Catholic school teacher coordinates the program and is available to help guide schools through the Global Classmates process. She said the idea began to develop after a 2019 visit by Unbound to St. John the Evangelist Parish in Seattle, Washington, and a conversation with school principal Bernadette O’Leary.

“Principal O'Leary said their school's community outreach is to the homeless and their global outreach would be to their Unbound sponsored friends,” Klein said. “I believe they first started referring to them as ‘global classmates.’ I just started thinking about how Unbound can support schools with our global view of service to others.”

Students at John Paul II School in Overland Park, Kansas, (from left) Cameron Bristow, Ashley Ramos and Justice Brown, take part in the opening procession at an all-school Mass in January 2022 at Queen of the Holy Rosary Church. The students are carrying photos of children their classes sponsor through Unbound’s Global Classmates program.

Making the world smaller

Inspiration for the program also came from St. Joan of Arc School in Toledo, Ohio. Jenna Shinaberry is a kindergarten teacher at St. Joan of Arc. She introduced classroom sponsorship to the school six years ago, and classes have been sponsoring children all that time.

“It was a way to make the world a smaller place for them,” Shinaberry said. “Our understanding of poverty is minimal for a lot of our kids.”

Klein visited St. Joan of Arc in 2019 and saw how their commitment to sponsorship had captured the imagination of the school and the entire St. Joan community. Accompanying her was Unbound preacher Father Jerry Morgan, who was invited to visit with classes and help the students better understand how their efforts were helping fulfill the Church’s social mission.

The Unbound program helps students serve God by helping others halfway around the world. #catholicmom

The visit to St. Joan of Arc demonstrated the benefits of connecting a parish visit with school outreach. Klein is now working to replicate that approach in other Catholic communities. One is Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park, Kansas, where Unbound preacher Father George Knab celebrated an all-school Mass on Jan. 14. In his homily, Father Knab affirmed the students of St. John Paul II School for their commitment.

“Unbound is proud of your school because you have joined together to sponsor three children among the very poor,” he said. “Sponsorship, as you know, provides benefits that make a real difference in the lives of sponsored persons, like good nutrition, basic health care, clothing, family assistance and for the children, an education that can be for them a path out of poverty.”

Jenny Yankovich, principal of St. John Paul II, recognizes the benefits of Global Classmates for the school community.

“Our mission is to help our students reach their greatest potential so they can serve God and others,” she said. “The Unbound program does exactly that, helps our students serve God by helping others halfway around the world. Thank you to Unbound for giving our students this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others."

Father George Knab, a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate and a preacher for Unbound, speaks to students from John Paul II School at an all-school Mass at Queen of the Holy Rosary Church in Overland Park, Kansas. Father Knab visited the parish on behalf of Unbound in January 2022.

An opportunity for school and parish

In addition to the benefits for schools and students, classroom sponsorships offer an opportunity for families to become more engaged in a practical and proven way to help the poor. Parents can support their children and learn with them about the realities of global poverty. This can have an energizing effect on the entire parish. Parishioners can, if they choose, help finance the costs of sponsorship for the school by becoming “angel donors” or supporting school fundraising efforts.

For more information about Global Classmates, visit Unbound.org/schools, email schools@unbound.org or call 800-466-7672.

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