So far, 2023 has proved to be very exciting, reflective, and rich in learning. From the beginning of this year until June, significant milestones have taken place. We have shared important announcements, have been enriched by deep spiritual moments, and learned together by participating in unique Ignatian learning experiences. It is wonderful to see how in our global community we have had the opportunity to learn, teach, and collaborate in different ways with colleagues from all over the world.

Let’s revive some of these exciting moments. Here are some highlights that we hope you will find interesting and fun to read and know about!

Updates and new integrations to our Educate Magis Platform

• Global Identifiers Integration: At the beginning of the year, using the “An Integrated (Holistic) Perspective” infographic, our Educate Magis team in Galway ventured on a project to study, reflect on, and discern how the Global Identifiers can be present across our community’s platform as a way to enrich the understanding of the Global Identifiers as an intrinsic part of the global dimension of our Jesuit schools. The fruits of this reflective work are visible on different banners in our Educate Magis platform. You can check out some examples of this integration here https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/the-global-identifiers-of-an-integral-perspective-enrich-our-global-community-of-educate-magis/
• Ignatian Practices online: Another important integration of the 10 Global Identifiers into the Educate Magis platform was through the FLACSI Teaching Laboratories on May 25th, which promotes awareness and the need to write teaching experiences for teachers using the 10 Global Identifiers as a framework. The FLACSI team together with the Educate Magis team in Galway worked to bring these important Ignatian practices online. To learn more about the result of this collaboration visit this page  https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/lanzamiento-de-los-laboratorios-didacticos-de-flacsi-impulsa-la-escritura-y-difusion-de-experiencias-pedagogicas-en-colegios-jesuitas-de-latinoamerica/
• Updates to the Educate Magis Group Tool: After months of considered analysis of the feedback received from different members of our global community, we released new and exciting updates to the Educate Magis Group Tool. From new folder creation and sorting, to easier ways of inviting colleagues and scheduling meetings for your groups, the new features facilitate working together on projects that span a wide range of educational topics. To read more about this and other enhancements to this important tool please visit this page https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/new-group-features-on-educate-magis/

Important Announcements for our Global Community

• Thirty years since the launch of “Ignatian Pedagogy: A Practical Approach”. On March 31st, 2023, we celebrated 30 years of the Ignatian Pedagogy: A Practical Approach more commonly known as the IPP (Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm). To celebrate this important milestone Fr José Mesa SJ wrote a reflection on the relevance of the IPP in the context of our times. To read this reflection, please follow this link https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/the-ipp-ignatian-pedagogical-paradigm-and-its-relevance-today-celebrating-30-years-of-the-ipp/
• The II Seminar JESEDU-Jogja2024. This seminar is scheduled to take place on June 24-28, 2024, at Colegio de Britto in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Two documents were shared by the Secretariat for Jesuit Education to disseminate the official information about this global event. To read the documents visit this page. Please take into account that the organizing committee has moved the venue for this event from the Sanata Dharma University to the Colegio de Britto, one of 7 Jesuit schools in the country. https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/jesedu-jogja2024-first-announcement-and-basic-information/
• The Global Discernment Circles to Commemorate the 50th Year of “Persons for Others”. It is 50 years ago that Pedro Arrupe, the then Superior General of the Society of Jesus, delivered his speech “Men and Women for Others” at the 10th International Congress of Jesuit Alumni/ae of Europe. It took place in 1973, from July 29th to August 1st, in Valencia, Spain. This speech was pivotal, as it initiated the process of reflection and self-evaluation that led to the renewal of Jesuit education globally. Considering its positive impact on schools across the world the Jesuit Global Netowrk of Schools (JGNS) and Educate Magis will offer Global Discernment Circles to all educators. To find out more about the Global Discernment Circles and see the agenda with the key dates for this event visit this page https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/happy-anniversary-today-we-commemorate-50-years-since-pedro-arrupe-gave-his-seminal-address-persons-for-others/.  Additionally, to get ready to participate in the Global Discernment Circles a series of articles with moving reflections on the life and spirituality of Beloved Don Pedro: “Man for Others”, interesting documents, videos, and articles about “Persons for Others”, a video “Biography of Pedro Arrupe”, and this conversation forum “Persons for Others” have been made available for all educators in our global community.

Spiritual Experiences with our Global Community

• As part of the students’ Lenten experience, the General Curia in collaboration with Educate Magis invited students to reflect on their relationship with God, with their neighbor and with the Earth; and to consider ways they can better serve each. To help, we offered “Who Do You Want to Be” a video series designed during the Ignatian Year, which included four videos and pedagogical materials for schools to be used to accompany students during Lent. Read the details of this project here https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/who-do-you-want-to-be-a-lenten-initiative-for-schools-press-release/
• Additionally, on March 1st, a Lenten gathering called “Listening & Looking with Love” created for parents of Jesuit school students was held online. This was the first Lenten gathering for parents of students in Jesuit Schools ever made available globally. To read more about this initiative visit this page https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/advent-gathering-for-parents-of-jesuit-school-students-listening-with-the-heart-kinship-family-and-belonging/

Global Cohort Courses and Webinars for our Global Community

• Many educators enjoyed their participation in the Spring 2023 Global Cohort Courses hosted by Educate Magis. Faculty and staff from different Jesuit schools deepened their understanding of Ignatian Spirituality and reflected on Ignatian Global Citizenship in the different sessions of the Educate Magis online cohort courses. The courses were a success thanks to the committed participation of educators from various regions and the facilitators who made the courses special by sharing their experiences and enthusiasm. To read more about this learning experience and its reviews visit this link https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/congratulations-to-all-learners-and-facilitators-who-journeyed-together-during-the-recent-educate-magis-global-cohort-courses/. If you are interested in attending the next set of online cohort courses, check out the global activities calendar here https://www.educatemagis.org/blogs/attention-the-educate-magis-global-activities-calendar-for-the-second-half-of-2023-is-ready/
• Furthermore, on March 30th, and on June 1st, educators from Jesuit schools worldwide had the opportunity to participate in two important discussions, one on Global Identifier #9 “Human Excellence”, and another one on Global Identifier #1 “Catholic, Faith Formation and Interreligious Dialogue”. These webinars were the 5th and 6th of the webinar series “An Integrated (Holistic) Perspective”. The recording for both Webinars are available here https://www.educatemagis.org/infographic-integrated-perspective/?ip-tab=1#tab-1-section-0

Global Series and Reflections for our Global Community

During the first half of 2023, Fr. José Mesa SJ in collaboration with Educate Magis made available more articles to keep igniting sparks of knowledge in teachers new to Jesuit education. So far there have been 12 articles shared as part of the Global Series for Teachers New to Jesuit Education. Check out the wide range of topics on Jesuit Education in this series here https://www.educatemagis.org/blog/tag/global-series-for-teachers-new-to-jesuit-education/ .

If you are looking for some inspiration to bring new ideas to your classroom or just for your own personal and professional growth, we recomend the following content that has been shared during the first half of 2023 by members of our global community.

• Reflection on Jesuit Education and Human Excellence, written by Fr. Sunny Jacob SJ
• Jesuit and Catholic Schools are embracing cultural diversity, written by Fr. Sunny Jacob SJ
• Practicing Ignatian Values within Cognitive Coaching Conversations, written by Pete Musso
• ‘Sportingly +’ – Learning Values and Positivity through Sports. video series created by Rahul Mukherji
• “Young Jesuits Talk About Ignatius”, video series created by the Jesuit Curia Comunication Office
• The relationship between Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuit ‘brand’, writen by Bill Toner SJ
• My experience of welcoming immigrants to the school, written by Verónica Paredes
• My experience working in the educational apostolate of the Society of Jesus, writen by Gabriel Scott Losambe
• How meaningful for all of us is to have an in-depth understanding of the message of Easter in today’s context, written by Fr. Sunny Jacob SJ

Global Connected Classes for Students in our Global Network

Some of the online global Connected Classrooms experiences that students of our Jesuit Global Network of Schools have enjoyed so far this year are:

• “What does our future hold?” Created by Cristina Pellegrino, an English teacher and Global Citizenship coordinator at St. Ignatius College in Messina, Italy.
• “My place and action in Creation”. Created by Guillermina Velázquez, a teacher at “Instituto Oriente” in Mexico.
• “Getting to know each other in the world”. Created by David Chamorro, English teacher and Head of Foreign Affairs at “Colegio San Ignacio Alonso Ovalle” school in Santiago de Chile, Chile.
• “Connection with global business affairs experts”. Created by David Chamorro, English teacher and Head of Foreign Affairs at “Colegio San Ignacio Alonso Ovalle” school in Santiago de Chile, Chile.
• “Magis Education with Minecraft Education Edition”. Created by Jose Felix Falgui, English teacher at “Ateneo de Manila Grade School and High School” in the Philippines.

We are thankful for all the amazing global learning, teaching and collaboration that has been happening amongst members of our global community so far in 2023.

Let’s continue forging this path to global Ignatian sharing and learning, together!