Encounter Through Listening

By Bob Reiser, SJ from Jesuit Schools Network

As a member of the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education (ICAJE), I had the privilege this past summer in Yogyakarta of drafting the JESEDU-Jogja2024 Vision Statement on which we as a Network are now reflecting in these pages. A big part of the drafting process was listening to the Holy Spirit as it moved among and within the group. As the days progressed, we in ICAJE were amazed at how common terms or phrases slowly but consistently emerged from within the group – through spiritual conversation, large group discussions, and informal conversations. As the common graces emerged, we simply “harvested” them and then formed them into a Vision Statement, a statement of common graces that emerged from the group.

When I was a young high school president, a more seasoned veteran once told me that the best way to engage the many constituents I would encounter was to ask them about themselves – their lives, families, jobs, and interests. Listening to the stories of students, faculty members, parents, alums, donors, and friends slowly but surely became less of a “tactic” for me, and more of an experience of personal “formation,” especially as disparate groups touched on common themes, common graces. I guess one could say, they formed a “vision” in me that emerged from the working of the Holy Spirit within and among the community.

Encountering others and listening to them has been a blessing in my life, and I hope by extension a blessing for those I’ve served. As Pope Francis reminds us in Fratelli Tutti, “To speak of a ‘culture of encounter’ means that we, as a people, should be passionate about meeting others, seeking points of contact, building bridges, planning a project that includes everyone. This becomes an aspiration and a style of life.” (216)

Elevating Student Voices in Ignatian Pedagogy and Inquiry

By Terra Caputo from Saint Ignatius High School - Cleveland



The Center for Ignatian Pedagogy at Saint Ignatius High School foregrounds the Ignatian culture of encounter in its approach to Ignatian Pedagogy and inquiry. Identifying key problems of practice for research requires that we encounter students as authentic partners. Rather than placing students on the margins of decisions about excellent instruction and pedagogy, the student and teacher Research Fellows Program empowers students to view their learning through the lens of Ignatian Pedagogy and collaborate with teachers to design studies that help our “universal body” of stakeholders to elevate learning and disrupt traditional classroom power dynamics that can leave students feeling voiceless.

For this reason, our current and past research agendas were built through intentional discernment in common; through this approach, we hope to model for our students what walking “with” and not just “for” looks like.

Talk About It: Discussion-Based Learning as Ignatian Encounter

By Russell Fiorella from Jesuit High School Portland and Cappy Russell from Georgetown Preparatory School

If Jesuit high schools are called to accompany students “in discovering and deepening their core identity - their resilient faith - that emerges out of an encounter with God”, we must invite students to look beyond their notebooks and semester exams. Traditional pedagogy, which fosters one-way conversations dominated by teachers' voices, must give way to a discussion-based approach that teaches students how to work on themselves, with each other, and through the material in front of them.

The first step for teachers is the hardest: letting go. The attached resources will inspire you to take that leap of faith and help you promote a discussion-based classroom that positions student encounters at the center of learning.

Preparing for an Election Year: Creating Expectations for Community Discourse

By Kristin Ross Cully from Jesuit Schools Network



In our first Ignatian Inquiry Podcast of the year, we spoke with Regis Jesuit High School President David Card about the school’s thoughtful and forward-thinking efforts to support meaningful discourse within the community surrounding the upcoming presidential election. In the episode entitled Preparing for an Election Year: Creating Expectations for Community Discourse, we explored Regis Jesuit’s creation of ways of proceeding in building a culture of civil discourse that has shaped the academic setting and beyond. The school’s commitment to encountering conversations around the election with Ignatian ideals at the center has enlivened a true depth of mission in the community.

Election 2024: Faith-Based, Nonpartisan Resources to Teach, Preach, and Pray

By Clarissa Aljentera from Education for Justice

Are you looking for nonpartisan, faith-based resources on the elections to share with your classroom, parish, or community? Our new EFJ Election Resources Pack for Schools/Parishes has you covered! For just $25, you'll get access to nearly twenty resources that invite people to slow down, pray, reflect, and engage in civil, Catholic-Social-Teaching-rooted conversation in increasingly polarized times.

Navigate Election Season with Love – Join a Gratitude-Based Learning Workshop

By Adam Fishman from Onora Global

God created different opinions for a reason. If you'd like to learn how to navigate those differences with love and grace, in ways that create more connection than division, we'd love to have you in an upcoming Gratitude-Based Learning workshop, with options for all ages. Click here or the button below to learn more and register.

Learn to Lead a Sustainability Project - Fellowship Applications Due November 30

Earn your Sustainable Leadership Certification while you learn to harness the power of Gratitude-Based Learning for sustainable changemaking. During this online Fellowship, you'll complete an impact project in your community and inspire ripple effects of change well beyond your school. Click here or the button below to learn more about Onora's 14th Impact Fellowship and to apply by the November 30 deadline.

ISN ENERGY STAR Getting Started Webinar

By Brenna Davis from Ignatian Solidarity Network

Are you interested in joining other Jesuit high schools in the ENERGY STAR Pilot Program? Join us on Wednesday, October 16, at 3 p.m. ET for a 30-minute session discussing the program and how to get started. You will also hear from Elena Gourlis at Boston College High School about how their school uses ENERGY STAR data.

Where to Start: K-2 Climate Change Education Webinar

By Brenna Davis from Ignatian Solidarity Network

Join the Teach Climate Network and presenter Marie Fargo on Wednesday, October 16 at 1 p.m. ET for a workshop covering key practices for early elementary climate change education.

New Global Course! "Ignatian Intercultural Communication"

By Karina Zapata-Roche from Educate Magis

Explore, with colleagues from Jesuit schools across the globe, how personal and cultural identity shape our beliefs about the world around us. Discover tools to improve verbal and non-verbal communication for effective intercultural communication for you and your students.The course begins on November 7, 2024.

How To Integrate Theatre and Meaningful Activities in the Classroom

More than just a set of exercises, ‘The Red Chair Play’ engages students in reflective action. It not only raises awareness about the universal right to education, it also highlights the vital role of teachers, inviting students to step into their shoes and act them out. Click here to access the classroom material.

We know that each day is full of opportunities for meaningful encounters. Yet, it can be hard to slow down and be present. This prayer invites us to pay attention by listening. By naming and noticing all the lives that intersect with ours, we draw closer to a God who is present “in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and in doubt, in noise and in silence.”

– Robert Stephan, Director for Ignatian Formation and Adult Spirituality, Loyola High School, LA