Since Loyola students started volunteering at nearby St. Mary of the Assumption School in Govans last year, enrollment at the struggling Catholic preschool-to-eighth-grade school jumped 40 percent.

“Parents are hearing about the wonderful things the students can get at St. Mary’s that they can’t get at other schools and now want to send their children there,” said Amy Maher, coordinator of the Loyola-St. Mary partnership.

As part of Loyola’s Year of the City initiative last year, which encouraged students to volunteer throughout Baltimore, about 130 college students tutored children, worked as teachers’ aides, helped with homework, held art workshops and served as role models for the kids.

Loyola also painted St. Mary, donated furniture and computers, revamped the school Web site and distributed marketing material.

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Student-athletes John Loaiza and Camillo Correa spent a Sunday teaching St. Mary’s children how to play soccer.

“It was fun. We got a laugh out of it,” Loaiza said.

The partnership continues, as about 80 Loyola students have signed up this semester to volunteer at the school, which sits five blocks from campus.

“The Jesuit mission makes you worldly,” said Marjorie Thousand, a sophomore communications and political science major.

Thousand worked at a day care center for homeless children and contributed to a collection of short stories that freshmen wrote and published about the city.

A native of Rhode Island, Thousand said she was drawn to the religious aspect of the college, even though she is not Catholic.

“Sometimes it’s awkward when you see kids go to the bar and then get up the next day and go to church,” she said. “But I guess we are all still struggling to find ourselves. The Jesuits are accepting of everyone.”

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com