Throughout the pandemic, we have heard the voices of our students from different parts of the world through two wonderful projects (A Day in My Life: Living Under the Covid-19 Pandemic and Return to School During Covid-19) initiated by members of our global community. Another member of our global community, Paula from Nuestra Señora de Itatí school in Argentina would now like to build on these projects and is inviting for you to once again share your students’ voices here, in the newest edition of Student Reflections – Ignatian Voices of the Future!
As we know, one of the four Universal Apostolic Preferences invites us to accompany the youth in the creation of a hope-filled future. We are currently living through a historical moment which is very worrying but, at the same time, transformative in nature both for us and for our students. It requires us to guide and accompany our students, to illuminate and follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ through this experience. It is our mission as educators to place our students in the centre, helping them to realise that they can be protagonists of their future. A future founded in reconciliation and a meaningful life with Jesus Christ.
In line with this mission, we warmly invite you to participate in this “Ignatian Voices of the Future” Project. The objectives are to invite students to discern the global pandemic situation as a life experience, with an awareness of the deep love the Lord holds for them. We would also like for it to be an opportunity for students to introduce themselves to our global community and to each other so that they will become aware of their identity and context. Additionally, we expect students to cultivate a sympathetic view toward the diversity of realities our Ignatian brothers and sisters face around the globe and commit to a deep change in the world.
How can I participate in this project with my students?
- Share the invitation below with your students and encourage them to
(i) record a short video at this Flipgrid link answering the question “Who am I?” https://flipgrid.com/df075873 Note: Please, let Paula know if your students will be recording videos so she can give them access to Flipgrid.
(ii) share their written reflections with you, using the information in the invitation below. Note: We will let you decide on the appropriate wordcount for your students, depending on their grade level. We recommend approx. 400 words but it can be shorter or slightly longer. - Collect the written reflections from your students in a word document and submit them to info@educatemagis.org with the subject line “Ignatian Voices of the Future!”. Please ask your student to include their First name, School and Country in their submission. Here is an example of previous submissions. Please also send us your school logo. Note: Please make sure you are a member of Educate Magis before you do this. It is free to register!
Your students’ written reflections will be shared on Educate Magis and you will have a link where your students can read their peers’ reflections from other parts of the world! We hope this project will be an opportunity for prayer and reflection on the work of the Lord. All voices are welcome!
What is the deadline?
We will be sharing submissions until December 10th 2021
Invitation to students
Hello everyone, my name is Paula Andrea Gauto, I’m an English teacher of English at Nuestra Señora de Itatí School. I‘d like to share with you that I was a student at an Ignatian school, the same as you, which has defined my academic development but also my identity. We are currently living through a global reality that moves and frightens us all. We would like you to know that you are not alone. What you feel or have felt during this time has been shared by young people all over the world. With this in mind, we would like to read and listen to what you have to say. We want to know who you are. We want to know about the experiences that you have lived through during this pandemic and what the future looks like for you. We would like to learn about your fears, your doubts, motivations and hopes. Your voice matters as it is the voice of our future! It is the voice the Lord has chosen to tell this story. We invite you to tell your story of this pandemic. We would like to see the reality through your eyes and let you discover what other Ignatian students have lived and learnt.
To participate in this project please:
(i) record a short video at this Flipgrid link answering the question “Who am I?” https://flipgrid.com/df075873
(ii) share your written reflections with your teacher, using the questions below to guide you. Please include you first name, school and country at the end of your reflection.
- What’s your name? Where are you from? How would you describe your context? How would you identify yourself?
- What has been the impact of the pandemic on your life? What experiences have you, your family, your school, your hometown undergone?
- What emotions/feelings have the whole experience left you with? What have you learnt? How has your lifestyle changed? How have you felt the presence of God in your life?
- How do you picture the future? What does the future you dream of look like? How can you make things happen? What abilities have you acquired during this time? How can you share your learnings and talents with the rest of our global community?
We look forward to hearing from you on Flipgrid and reading your story on Educate Magis!
