Challenge Middle School Program

Program Description

Challenge is a program made for 5^th – 8^th Grade Girls’ to live their faith. It is a comprehensive virtue-based curriculum intertwined with service projects for a lived experience of faith in action. It is made to respond to the unique needs, questions and reality of a middle school girl. It consists of 3 series of curriculum for 5^th/6^th Grade and 3 series for 7^th/8^th Grade. Each series is made up of 4 team leader guidebooks with 31 weeks of curriculum. Each guidebook is built around the apostolic service project with formative activities to aid in helping them live out the virtue and live as Christian leaders in their world. It aims to challenge them, others and the world through their friendship with Christ and authentic service to others!

Middle School Curriculum

Virtue Centered

Our curriculum is virtue-centered. A virtue is “an interior disposition, a positive habit, a passion that has been placed at the service of the good. That means that we must change on our way to God” (Youcat 299) Most of the our spiritual life and living of faith is God’s action, what we can do from our side is respond by good actions, actions that repeated enough times become a habit. This creates a positive inner space in our hearts for us to develop our friendship with God. This good habit or good inner disposition is what we call virtue. Then there are “superpower” virtues that God gives as gifts too. Kids today need to see virtue modeled and who better to set an example than the saints! Each guidebook of curriculum centers around a virtue. Virtue is the beauty of a young woman.

Service Driven

Our curriculum is service driven. Each guidebook is built around a service project with each of the weekly meetings offering content to help form the missionary disciple, a young Catholic leader, in carrying out this project. Mission can awaken and maximize the heart of a young woman for good, to receive and care for the other and embark on an adventure worth taking on any challenge!

Adolescent

Our curriculum responds to the needs of the adolescent. It is based off of questions that reveal the deeper needs of the adolescent. Each session strives to awaken the question through experiences, respond to them and help them make faith life!

Each curriculum set includes 3 books. Each book includes 5 weeks of curriculum, one main virtue, and one service project. The Advent / Lent book can be added to all curriculum sets to give you 8 more weeks of meetings and two more service projects. All books have lots of material downloads available from the online resource center.

Download a 5th/6th Grade Sample Meeting

Download a 7th/8th Grade Sample Meeting

The Challenge 5th/6th grade Series 1 curriculum includes 4 books. The books in this series feature 31 weeks of content and five service projects: All Saints Bash, Warm Wishers, May Crowning, Rally Round the Wreath and Christ’s Passion Mission.

The Challenge 7th/8th grade Series 1 curriculum set includes 4 books. The books in this series feature 31 weeks of content and five service projects: The Pie Project, Chari-tea, Daddy Daughter Day, Rally Round the Wreath and Christ’s Passion Mission.

The Challenge 5th/6th grade Series 2 curriculum set includes 4 books. The books in this series feature 31 weeks of content and five service projects: Blessing Bags, Light House, Divine Valentine, Christmas Cookie Caroling, and Challenge Missions.

The Challenge 7th/8th grade Series 2 curriculum set includes 4 books. The books in this series feature 31 weeks of content and five service projects: Grow Goodness, Fr’s Day Dinner, Life Saver, Christmas Cookie Caroling, and Challenge Missions.

The Challenge 5th/6th grade Series 3 curriculum set includes 4 books. The books in this series feature 31 weeks of content and five service projects: Grandma and Grandpa Grins, Charity Challenge, Baskets of Joy, Bethlehem in your Backyard, and Spread the Word!

The Challenge 7th/8th grade Series 3 curriculum set includes 4 books. The books in this series feature 31 weeks of content and five service projects: Mommy Missions, Soup for the Soul, Little Acts of Love, Bethlehem in your Backyard, and Spread the Word!

Weekly Meeting Description

It is suggested for the weekly meeting to be 1 ½ or 2 hours.

Curriculum Products

Create a sense of belonging and friendship by getting Challenge Merch! This can be an exciting addition to kick-off day. Consider having “I appreciate you” gifts for your team leaders and adult leaders. Running a parent info night? Get everyone a Challenge give-away. Promoting Challenge at your parish ministry fair? Get items to help make Challenge known. Find what best works for you!