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Helping Teens Discover Their Worth: The Culture Project at St. Bernadette

This past school year, students at St. Bernadette Catholic School had the opportunity to engage with The Culture Project—a national initiative that brings young Catholic missionaries into schools to speak about human dignity, virtue and authentic love. Through dynamic presentations and peer mentorship, these missionaries help teens navigate the pressures of modern culture with clarity and faith.

Principal Lynn Schultz shared how meaningful the experience was for her students and families. “I was actually a little worried about their reaction,” she said, “but instead, it was well received.” 

Parents were grateful their children could explore important topics, like identity, integrity and social media, from a Catholic perspective.

What is the Culture Project?

The Culture Project’s mission is rooted in the belief that every person is infinitely valuable and uniquely created in God’s image. Their presentations address the challenges teens face today, including distorted messages about love, comparison on social media and the pressure to conform. By offering a counter-narrative grounded in truth and virtue, the missionaries help students like ours reclaim their sense of worth and purpose.

At St. Bernadette, 7th and 8th grade students spent Religion class time with the missionaries, covering four key topics:

• Human Dignity
• Sexual Integrity
• Social Media
• Catholic Apologetics (plus interactive Q&A)

In addition to classroom sessions, the missionaries joined students for lunch on two occasions, creating space for casual conversation and deeper connection.

“The missionaries were personable and willing to answer any question that came their way,” Lynn said. “They were strong in their faith and bold about sharing their experiences and knowledge.”

One of those lunch visits happened to fall on the day Pope Leo was announced—a joyful moment that added to the excitement and sense of community.

“The students shared that they enjoyed spending time with the missionaries, and they opened up and asked questions. We have already invited them back for the 2025–2026 school year,” Lynn said. 

Thanks to support from the Archdiocese of Omaha and generous donors, schools like St. Bernadette can offer students a chance to pause and reflect on who they are becoming as young Catholic teens.

In this world that can easily become overwhelming, this is one way the Consortium can offer students dedicated time to deeply consider their identity and faith,

To learn more about The Culture Project or invite them to your school, visit thecultureproject.org.