Euro-Mediterranean Province Working on Action 13 – JESEDU-Rio2017

The Fondazione Gesuiti Educazione (FGE {Foundation for Jesuit Education}) finds Educate Magis as the means to connect educators with other educators in all the Jesuit schools around the world.

Being responsible for the Global Citizenship program in the schools of the Euro Mediterranean Province, that is Albania, Italy and Malta, and as a member of the Commission for the Promotion of Ignatian Education with FGE, I have found Educate Magis most useful in promoting the Global Citizenship Course online especially to the persons responsible of this programme in each of the eight schools in the Province. We had a quick introductory run through it as a taster in our meeting together in the Istituto Massimo, Rome, last October.

Global Citizenship Coordinators during the meeting in Rome

Global Citizenship Coordinators of the 6 Italian Jesuit Schools

Before actually practicing Global Citizenship Education in schools, one needs to understand that this type of education goes beyond just student exchanges and partnerships. It also opens both the teachers’ and students’ eyes and minds to the realities of the globalized world and awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and Human Rights for all. In a nutshell it also encompasses Human Rights Education, Education for Sustainability, Education for Peace and Intercultural Education. This is what the course online promotes.

The Global Stories section illustrates what is actually being practiced in individual schools and also what international conferences and training programmes are being offered in different areas. It was through this section that I read with joy the outcome of the JECSE Delegates’ meeting last February, especially about Challenge 6, on the concept of ‘Global Citizen’. I found it very interesting and encouraging because it is very much in line with the International/Global Dimension section we have written in the Curriculum Guidelines for the schools in the Euro Mediterranean Province.  I have presented their response to the school rectors, the members of the Commission for the Promotion of Ignatian Education and to the persons responsible for the Global Citizenship Programme in each of the eight schools in the Province, requesting them to look for the similarities and what they think we need to modify.

Educate Magis encourages schools from all over the world to showcase their projects, programmes, initiatives and best practices, especially where students are the protagonists. When I go round all our schools and have meetings with different subject teachers who share with me what they have been doing, especially when their initiatives correspond to this dimension, I do encourage them to send their best practices to you. This is picking up gradually since we still have the language barrier. Not all teachers are very much fluent in English and/or Spanish and this can perhaps be the drawback for them to fully make use of Educate Magis.

One of the excellent resources that we are referring to and using in our professional development sessions with different subject departments at St Aloysius College, Malta is the book ‘Empowering Students to Improve the World’ by Prof Fernando Reimers. It fits in with the Education for Sustainability project which we are integrating in all subjects as part of the Eco School programme. The FGE together with Fondazione MAGIS (Italy) will be making use of it during our workshop sessions next January with the teachers of the Istituto Massimo, Rome. We will be presenting these models of lesson plans so that the Italian teachers will start creating their own lesson plans according to their school and community context.

I consider the Global Projects section very important. Whenever there is a Global Project which promotes the same values and attitudes found in our Guidelines, I immediately send a circular, through the FGE, to all rectors and those responsible for the Global Citizenship Programme, inviting them to participate. I am very pleased to say that teachers are trying their best to be part of these projects and am very happy for the ones who are truly succeeding to meet the project requirements.  The only problem they are finding is that too many projects are presented having a very short limited time for deadline. There are schools who found the Young Reporters’ project very interesting but they couldn’t present it in such a short time. But for sure they found it so interesting that they intend to carry it out during the scholastic year as their project.

Istituto Massimo Rome Participant and Winner in Global Reporters of Our Global Network Project

St. Aloysius College Malta Implementing the Red Chair Project