Shine On Week

Shine On Week is a time to pause and reflect on what we are thankful for in our lives; a time to literally stop, to look around us and be aware of what we have that is good. A time to become aware of how our individual gifts can be shared to help someone else.

To introduce the first scholarship in 2014, Shine On Week was initiated to set the stage. The program is a time of joy and encourages students to become involved in helping others. The students promote the event and plan all of the activities. Each group of students decides how they would like to accomplish their goal of giving back.

‘Shine On Week makes people feel good because we are showing, truly showing, that we care about them. We are sharing our positivity and strengths with others. It is a time of celebration’ reports one Justice student.

As one Justice High School teacher stated, “I got involved with Shine On starting in 2016 and I definitely saw an immediate positive impact on my students. Students led projects like a free Car Wash for teachers, a clothing drive for a local shelter, letters/care packages to St. Jude's and a free hugs, high fives and handshakes booth during the festival. This brought so much happiness to so many and instilled a spirit of service into many of these students that long outlasted the week. One of my students, who went on to win the full scholarship, embodies Casey's spirit of giving and is already impacting the next generation of young people.”

The students take time to stop and appreciate their talents – this does not often happen in the life of a teenager. As many teenagers focus on what is lacking in their life, Shine On Week helps them to take a step back and realize all that they have. It is an incredibly powerful week of spreading joy.