Integral Ecology Comes Alive at First Ignatian Eco Educator Summit

BY ISN STAFF | June 30, 2023

From June 13-15, 2023, the inaugural Ignatian Eco Educator Summit welcomed 22 educators from 15 Jesuit and other Catholic schools to Bellwether Farm outside of Cleveland, Ohio. There, they connected with one another around their shared mission to make integral ecology come alive in their high school communities. 

The theme of the gathering was “Rooted in Magis,” and a central image used was mycelium, which is an underground network of fungus. “Just as mycelium helps to transport resources between trees, we are also developing a network of support and resource sharing that will help us build sustainable schools across the Ignatian family,” said Brenna Davis, director of integral ecology for the Ignatian Solidarity Network. “The concept of magis, doing whatever will bring about more love, was a reminder that in an urgent moment in history, we do not need to frantically do more; rather, we are invited to deepen our individual gifts in this network of mutual sharing.”

In this vein, participants were invited to commit to focus on just one thing in the year ahead that would deepen the work of ecological justice and sustainability in their schools. “With issues like climate change, there can be a sense that we are not working fast enough and will never be able to do enough, but rooted in our faith, we were reminded that Jesus did his work in a particular place, at a particular time, with particular people. Through relationships, his ministry changed the world,” Davis continued.

The gathering was not meant to be a one-time event but rather the beginning of relationship-building that will form an ongoing community of practice. In the final session, participants brainstormed ideas for how they would like to continue to work together, including ideas for how individual schools might work together to take collective action.

“The Eco Educator Summit gave me a new sense of direction in working both with students and adults in the Walsh Jesuit community,” said Trena Marks-Pacetti, theology teacher and alum of Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. “Inspired by the Universal Apostolic Preference of Caring for our Common Home, one of our school’s goals is to develop a systematic plan for environmental justice. But trying to build a more eco-friendly culture in any institution can be a slow process, and it’s even difficult at times to choose what direction to pursue. I will take with me a new way of organizing our Environmental Justice committee of adults, rooted in the four C’s: Community, Curriculum, Campus, and Culture. Focusing on accomplishing one goal at a time in each area will help guide our efforts.”

In addition to lifting up the usefulness of frameworks such as the four C’s for promoting ecological justice in school environments, educators who attended the summit also delighted in learning about new resources such as the open-source textbook Healing Earth, an interdisciplinary approach to environmental science crafted by the Jesuits and used globally.

They also remained focused on the impact that their learning at the summit would have on their students, who are themselves already actors in movements for change. “One thing I’ve noticed is our youth care a whole lot about ecological justice,” said Brendan O’Kane, Director of Ignatian Mission and Identity at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Maryland, where current environmental initiatives range from a community garden to a certificate program focused on integral ecology. “If we listen to them and take time to learn more about what they care about, this is something they feel very passionately about. We need to lead with them and accompany them in this work.”

“We want to graduate students who care for the planet, care for one another, care for those who are marginalized, who are the most affected by climate change,” affirmed Elena Gourlis, science teacher and head of Romero House at Boston College High School, where she teaches on environmental science, marine biology, and climate change. Gourlis, too, lifted up the investment of young people in the work of integral ecology, especially three current students who recently conducted an environmental audit to create change at their Jesuit high school from the inside out.

While there are many professional learning communities, the Eco Educators Summit is the first in the Ignatian network to focus specifically on ecology. Part of the richness of this opportunity was the chance for individuals from different departments, particularly science and theology, to engage in conversations about integral ecology from their unique perspectives.

Philip Nahlik, S.J., a Jesuit regent who teaches science at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, MO, underlined the fact that the field of ecology lies precisely at the intersection of science and morality: “The classic question from students is, ‘When are we going to use this in everyday life?’ And this is a really particular place to say, ‘This matters.’ Ecology is the best way to apply science content. It is the way that we do ethics and spirituality in the sciences. People like to talk about science as if it’s amoral or disconnected from values, which is never true, right? It always matters what data we choose and how we apply that data. And ecology is a particularly important place that we do that. That serves people in really literal ways; that lifts up people who are poor, people have real physical needs. It’s a way of applying the corporal works of mercy and caring for people, including our common home.”

As the gathering concluded, participants expressed a sense of hope and that they no longer felt like they were doing this work alone. “In a world that can make us weary with all the bad news about ecological changes, this summit inspired hope—having us look through a lens of gratitude, showing us a roadmap for our school and examples of what others have already done. The ideas that my colleagues and I are taking back to our schools will help us contribute the drops that will form a stream, and then a river, of needed actions for our common home,” shared Liane Cattelino of Regis Jesuit High School in Denver, CO.

“It was encouraging to meet so many people from around the country who are committed to improving sustainability and ecologically responsible practices in our schools, added Harry Rissetto, Ph.D. of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. “Many great ideas were shared, and I eventually stopped counting the bright idea lightbulbs (LED) that were going off in my head over the course of our time together at Bellwether.”

Gratitude became a central theme of the educators’ time together. Particularly after a session on gratitude as a lens for campus change, there seemed to be a shift in perspective that left people feeling energized and inspired to create change by deepening relationships rather than feeling frustrated by a lack of progress or the slowness of change.

“I was so inspired by the creativity and passion of my fellow teachers, and I feel strengthened by the sense of community and common mission that we fostered during our time together,” affirmed Katie Collins of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, OH. “I am excited to continue supporting one another in the coming years as we continue to lean into the work of inviting our various schools to embrace a more sustainable way of proceeding.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to meet and learn from so many great people in Catholic and Jesuit schools across the country,” added Trena Marks-Pacetti. “The collective effort in our schools filled me with so much hope going forward. The Holy Spirit was undoubtedly present at this gathering!”

“We came together in a beautiful setting with smart and passionate people who are committed to caring for creation and empowering young people to make change, so great things were bound to happen,” concluded Brenna Davis. “22 individuals from 15 schools came together, but we left as friends and a community of mutual support.”