Dear Global Companions: 

We are always looking for fresh ideas -- comments, suggestions and articles can be sent here.

"To act as a universal body with a universal mission" GC35, D.2 #20

Amidst a global pandemic, a rise in political polarity, and an increase in racial unrest and awareness of the marginalized among us, where is hope in our world? If the world is our home, what is our response? And how is Ignatian education a counter-cultural solution?  Who continuously seeks to deepen awareness of place and responsibility in an increasingly interconnected world despite current and future obstacles? Who stands in solidarity with others in the pursuit of a sustainable earth and a more human world as a true companion in the mission of reconciliation and justice?  JSN Ignatian Global Scholars do!

Jesuit Schools Network’s Ignatian Global Scholars Program & Certificate offers all schools a simple framework for engaging students and educators in global and connected learning through guiding choices in curriculum, language study, global events, intercultural experiences, co-curricular involvements, and service.  The Program framework and Certificate provide suggestions and benchmarking that promote habits of reflection, action, and continuous evaluation in the Ignatian tradition.  

Begin taking next steps toward tweaking your existing program or creating a new program. Contact Catharine Steffens or Pete Musso with questions.

~Robert Chura

On three consecutive Saturdays this March, the inaugural Jesuit Global Activism Leadership Summit brought together 84 students and 40 faculty from 19 Jesuit schools and 12 countries, in a virtual exchange format, to share cultural perspectives, creative solutions to global issues, and a passion for our common Ignatian tradition. 

The summit began with keynote speeches by Catharine Steffens, JSN Director of Global Partnerships and Initiatives, and Dustin Liu, UN Youth Ambassador, as well as personal insights on the dangers of cultural biases from Eugenia Sanguinetti of Colegio Del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After a short break, students and faculty spent the remainder of the day getting to know each other in their small groups by sharing symbols and stories of their diverse cultures. Day 2 of the summit was filled with growth and learning as expert speakers on the three UN SDG's (Sustainable Development Goals) which the summit focused on (#2-Zero Hunger, #5-Gender Equality, and #7-Clean and Affordable Energy) enlightened participants with their insights. Equipped with this new knowledge, students then spent the rest of the day in their groups developing a plan of action to address their chosen SDG while faculty gathered to share their stories and professional experiences. The final day of the summit opened with the Prayer of Generosity in all the languages of the summit, and the rest of the day was devoted to each group's presentation of their amazing, innovative projects (Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D). After all groups finished, everyone gathered for some final thoughts, praise, and celebration of their great work.

With the success of this initial summit, ambitious plans are already in development for an expanded summit in summer, 2022 which would be both in-person as well as virtual. For further information or any questions contact Robert Chura, Director of Global Education at St. Louis U. High.

~Bill Avington

Knowing the importance of international experiences for students, St. Joseph’s Prep has been organizing trips and exchange programs for half a century. International experiences have been further enhanced over the past decade as the Prep has partnered with several schools around the world to provide exchange experiences for its students, especially to Chile, Spain, and Germany. With travel restrictions in place, those programs now must look a bit different. 

●      For many decades, the Prep has partnered with Collegium Josephinum Bonn (CoJoBo) and has been running exchange opportunities with them for the past eight years. This year, under the direction of Prep German teacher Ines Aßmann, the program has shifted to virtual so that 21 students (11 from the Prep and 10 from CoJoBo) can participate despite the health restrictions. The students voted on a topic for the exchange, "Everyday Life" and were matched with a student from Germany. The students met in groups of 5 or 6 and the sessions alternated in German and English. At the end of the program, each student will receive a certificate of participation from the Goethe Institute and will be eligible to become U.S. State Department Exchange Alumni. 

●      At the same time, Prep Spanish Teacher Gina Gulli has worked with her counterpart at Colegio Irabia-Izaga in Pamplona, hosting virtual group sessions via Zoom and students have remained in contact with their partners on their own through email or Whatsapp. The plan is to travel to Spain in June 2022 to complete the exchange that began in October 2019.

●      Meanwhile, Spanish Teacher Ligia Baland has started a pen pal program for her students with Colegio San Ignacio el Bosque in Chile, a school the Prep has partnered with for exchange programs for more than a decade. They take turns speaking in English and Spanish so they can practice their target language.

See the "Everyday Life" activity below. Contact Bill for more information.

Tag your social media posts with #JSNGlobal and SHARE your global journeys in & out of the classroom.

Canisius Launches Alumni Interview Series 

~Ginger Geoffery 

Doctors, actors, bankers, attorneys, business owners, Jesuits – Canisius High School has many interesting alumni around the world who are following a wide variety of career paths and have compelling stories to share. Over the years, Canisius has shared some of these alumni stories in the school’s Today magazine. Then in 2020, the ubiquitousness of Zoom sparked an idea in the head of Canisius Vice President for Institutional Advancement Andrew Deyell ’91: Why not share alumni stories through Zoom videos? And thus, the “Conversations with Canisius” video series was born.  

The concept was a simple one – each episode is basically a recorded video call of Andrew, or Canisius Development Gifts Officer Paul Zablocki ’01, interviewing an alumnus – but a potentially powerful one. The videos can be shared on social media, the school’s website, e-newsletters, and used by teachers in classes. “Conversations with Canisius” has become a useful avenue for the school in strengthening relationships with alumni, as well as fostering connections between alumni, and between alumni and students. 

Click here to check out “Conversations with Canisius. 

Join Boston College's Jesuit Education in a Global World program for our upcoming professional development series "Excelling as an Ignatian Educator: Jesuit Education in Today's Global World." The individual sessions are: Engaging the UAP's in a Global Classroom on May 6 at 7 pm (EDT); Equity and Inclusion in a Global Context on May 12 at 7:30 pm (EDT); and Caring for the Caretaker: Selfcare, Neuro-Mindfulness, and Ignatian Spirituality on May 18 at 8 pm (EDT). Participate in one, two, or all three. Click here to register. For questions, contact Charles Cownie.

*Please note the Webinar is today, register quickly, or contact Carol Kelly, to receive a link to the recorded session.

To celebrate Earth Day this year Educate Magis will be hosting two Connected Classrooms on April 22nd, one at 8am GMT in English and one at 3pm GMT in Spanish (*please note if you are an English speaker let Educate Magis know and they will make accommodations for you to attend the later Spanish session). This is an opportunity for young people in Jesuit schools across the globe to share the daily actions they are taking and the environmental projects they are working on with their peers in other Jesuit schools. Learn more and register your interest to participate here!

Are you looking to participate in the Global Project “Interviews from Across the Globe on Global Citizenship Issues”? Maria Oliva, a teacher from Spain, has opened a group for teachers interested in hosting an interview for students in another part of the world on Global Citizenship issues. To join this group and read more details about this fantastic global project click here! 

The Ignatian Perspective of Global Citizenship is a Stop Along a Journey that Began with St. Ignatius of Loyola. In light of the upcoming Ignatian Year celebration we invite you to reflect upon St. Ignatius’ vision which he shared with his first Companions and which influenced the different paths that took them into the world and across the globe to share this vision with others. Read more here.

In this period of social unrest, four students from Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon (Nysa Gohil, Shreya Kaushik, Rishabh Sharma, and Dev Udata), have started a non-profit organization called The Desi Project. Their mission is to empower South Asian (Desi) teenagers in America by helping them become more confident and comfortable with their culture and helping them make an impact in the community.

The Desi Project has a multi-part solution directed towards creating a safe community for South-Asian teenagers. First, the four have created an online platform where South-Asian teenagers can post stories about their culture or injustices they have faced. Secondly, the four have created video vignettes addressing misrepresentative stereotypes and popular topics such as colorism in South Asian communities. Finally, the non-profit has begun to host local events.They hosted a South Asian sack lunch drive for a local homeless shelter, The Blanchet House, and received over 250+ South Asian sack lunches from the community.

~Kelly Swan

Are you struggling to make sense of world events and injustice in your classroom or congregation? Education for Justice offers 2500+ resources to help guide your work! Subscribe today, using code BIRTHDAY20 to receive 20% off your subscription. Click here to subscribe.

Walk with the Ignatian network as we learn, pray, and take action at the intersections of environmental, economic, and racial justice. Learn more and register.

Earth Day reminds us of the call to live more sustainably and to advocate for environmental justice in solidarity with those most impacted by environmental harm. The Ecological Examen can help guide your prayer and action. Click here to learn more.

Check out ISN’s compilation of Earth Day resources and events from Catholic organizations across the nation and globe! View the list here.

In May, join the Ignatian network as we dive into the topics of race, racism, and faith through the lens of Ignatian spirituality with Danielle Harrison, co-director of the Jesuits' Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation project. Click here to learn more and register.

Click the video link below to pray the Prayer for Generosity in English, Spanish, Bengali, Russian, Italian, Irish, Arabic, and Polish with the participants of the Jesuit Global Activism Leadership Summit which brought together 84 students and 40 faculty from 19 Jesuit schools and 12 countries.

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