2022 is already history. For many, the experiences lived during 2022 are already a memory, but for the members of our global community every connection through Connected Classrooms, every group collaboration during the online courses, the shared projects, and engaging global conversations have become important learnings and useful resources. All these will help us continue forging, together, our students’ path to Human Excellence.

Our global collaboration is an ongoing learning experience that has been developing since the global community of Educate Magis registered its first members back in 2015. Since then, educator members, now more than 14,000, connect from Jesuit schools around the world to grow spiritually and academically, to ultimately support the formation of young people of conscience, compassion, competence, and commitment (the four C’s).

Below we would like to share some highlights that filled our community with exciting experiences during 2022, and which we carry forward as learnings for 2023 and the years to come.

Our global community closed the Ignatian Year with much enthusiasm and joy.

In march 2022, students from different Jesuit schools in our global community joined a special Connected Classroom to conclude the Ignatian Year together, which came to a close on July 31st, 2022 (Feast of St. Ignatius). There were two virtual connections organized, one in Spanish and another in English. Both connections provided an opportunity for renewal and rediscovery of the Ignatian roots. Students, educators, and facilitators were able to stop, take stock, and put Christ in the center once more during this special year.

The special project «Who do you want to be?» was offered to all Jesuit schools and schools of Ignatian congregations. This Jesuit Curia initiative invited teachers to encourage their students to explore their dreams and challenges and how to move towards the fullness of life. It offered videos and pedagogical materials adaptable to local cultures.

We all experienced and valued the benefits of global online cohort learning.

In 2022, the Webinar Series «Jesuit Education: An Integrated (Holistic) Perspective» was launched. All educators from our community were invited to register and join an important dialogue on Global Identifier #5 «Justice», Global Identifier #4 «Care of Creation», Global Identifier #7 «Jesuit Schools are committed to Interculturality», and Global Identifier #2 «Jesuit Schools are committed to creating a Safe and Healthy Environment for all».  In 2023, more webinars will be offered as an initiative promoted by the Secretariat for Education of the Society of Jesus in collaboration with ICAJE and Educate Magis, with the goal of fostering learning and reflection of contemporary Jesuit Education among educators.

On the other hand, English and Spanish testimonials from members who participated in the first set of facilitator-led global courses were shared. «Ignatian Global Citizenship» and «Four Key Practices in Ignatian Spirituality» are the two courses that provide this new synchronous global learning experience for Ignatian educators.  Since 2021 and during 2022, our global community has enjoyed various cohort learning experiences of these facilitator-led global courses, including a Spanish Pilot of the «Four Key Practices in Ignatian Spirituality Course».

There were many new formation resources.

During 2022, Fr. Jose Mesa SJ shared more articles from the «Global Series for Teachers New to Jesuit Education». Through these series of articles we learned about the importance of Networks in Jesuit Education and how these have opened up new opportunities for creativity, renewal, and innovation. We also learned about Saint Ignatius’ well-known expression Ite inflammate omnia (go, set the world on fire) as an important dimension to the call of networking in light of our current context and technological developments. Fr. Jose explored the meaning of discernment as a way of proceeding for our schools and provided some examples of how, in recent years, Jesuit schools have continued this path as the way to address challenges, understand possibilities, and renew education. Another article narrated the experience of Ignatius going to school and how this experience helped him realize that intellectual formation was an important tool for the service of God and Humanity.

We all enjoyed many opportunities to nurture our spirituality.

In 2022, the new Global Inter-Religious Prayers and Reflections page was launched in which teachers can find various prayers for diverse occasions. The prayers and reflections can be filtered by different languages.

From the 28th to 31st of March members of our community participated in the online retreat experience «Beloved – Sinner – Forgiven – Sent».

Thoroughout the year beautiful paintings accompanied by reflections were shared by Fr. Roy M. Thottam, SJ. The first 12 reflections on paintings were shared as resources for Faith Formation, and the other 12 reflections on paintings focused on Caring for Our Common Home.

New resources and tools were created and translated. 

The Spanish and Portuguese versions of the infographic “Our Global Dimension” was made available as a key tool for Jesuit schools in Latin America and in Spain.

In 2022, we added a neat feature to our Interactive (Online) Map, presenting different map projections that allow for a more educational and interesting way of browsing and locating schools.

The document «Jesuit Schools: A Living Tradition» was translated to more languages. Now is available in Portuguese, Catalan, Chinese, Polish and Arabic. 10 languages in total!

Also, with the support and feedback from members of our global community, our online meeting and remote teaching tools were improved!

Finally, the new «Get Involved» page was launched to help members explain why, who, and how to get involved in the global community of Educate Magis.  The «Get Involved» page is divided into 4 sections, which are easy to navigate.

Students were connected with other students around the world in a miningfull way!

Through the Connected Class «Lasting Relationships with Earth and all of Creation» students had a chance to share and learn about the different actions that Jesuit schools around the world are taking towards building deep and lasting relationships with Mother Earth.

David Chamorro, a teacher from «San Ignacio Alonso Valle» school in Santiago de Chile, together with the Educate Magis team, organized and hosted a new modality of a Connected Classroom through which students had the opportunity to meet and talk about the major environmental issues that are affecting their countries, and to share possible actionable solutions!

The year 2022 ended with a reflection on what God may be saying to us.

Groups of students from Jesuit schools in Poland, India, the Philippines, Croatia, and the United Kingdom gathered virtually to celebrate Christmas in an Ignatian way. They shared inspiring reflections on what they felt God may be saying to them during the special season of Christmas. Here are some examples:

«Let us remain united and always ready to support one another,
letting the peace of Christ reign in our hearts».
KOSTKA Jesuit Public High School, Poland

«Let’s dedicate our lives to improving a million lives.»
St. Aloysius Gonzaga School, Mangaluru, India

«Let us follow the example of Jesus, no matter what.»
Jesuit Classical High School, Croatia

«God makes us strong to face the challenges, by praying we become stronger.»
Ateneo de Davao Grade School and High School, Philippines.

«Let’s learn to be grateful to our family and for what we have learned at school».
Instituto Oriente de Puebla, Mexico

We hope you all enjoyed reading this summary and are encouraged to continue sharing and connecting with each other to keep contributing to the delivery of the holistic vision of Jesuit education.

Welcome to a new year, everyone! May the arrival of 2023 be one more reason to fill us with faith and hope to continue our Mission.