Free toolkit for schools to teach ecology

Source: St Mary's University

A free teaching toolkit for lessons on the Catholic Church's approach to ecology has been re-launched by St Mary's University, Twickenham, in time for Laudato Si' Week which has begun.

The Laudato Si' Champions Project at St Mary's University, a workstream from the Guardians of Creation Project, is providing a ready-made, six-lesson toolkit which gives all educators everything they need to explore the intersection of Catholicism and ecology with students of all ages.

At the heart of the toolkit is the concept of integral ecology, developed by Pope Francis in 2015 in his encyclical Laudato Si'. Pope Francis refers to the idea that human activity and the natural world are deeply connected, and that, consequently, care for creation and care for humanity are inseparable.

The toolkit includes:

- Six presentations and worksheets.
- Guidance for teachers.
- Student workbook.
- Key terms sheet.
- A certificate for students.

The resources have been successfully trialled in a variety of settings - from twelve 30-minute sessions in a weekly eco-committee at lunchtime to three two-hour sessions in timetabled Religious Education lessons.

The toolkit was developed following a one-year pilot programme of teaching and learning delivered to 225 students in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Salford, and was refined both pedagogically and theologically, with the help of the project's advisory board.

A 2022 survey showed that 67% of Catholic secondary school students had not previously heard of Laudato Si'. The results showed a significant improvement in student understanding of the Catholic Church teaching on ecology (98%) after engaging with the toolkit, as well as:

-An increased sense of responsibility to care for creation increased from 44% to 76%
-Confidence in understanding of climate change rose from 42% to 80%
-Students conveyed a stronger conviction that their actions contributed to addressing climate change.
-The Laudato Si' Champions toolkit has been designed to align with the requirements of the Catholic Schools Inspectorate's National Framework and the guidance of the Religious Education Directory.

Laudato Si' Champions is a workstream of the Guardians of Creation Project - an interdisciplinary research programme between the Diocese of Salford and St Mary's University to investigate paths for sustainable and ecologically sensitive change in the Catholic Church.

Dr Jakub Kowalewski, Senior Laudato Si' Research Fellow, St Mary's University, Twickenham, said: "Addressing the climate crisis is one of young people's top priorities. The Laudato Si' Champions toolkit speaks directly to students' ecological concerns, enabling teachers to educate and empower their pupils with the help of Catholic Social Teaching."

Dr Roland Daw, Research Lead, The Guardians of Creation Project, St Mary's University, Twickenham "This evidence-based approach to helping young people make the connection between their own agency and the environment will be instrumental in their building of hope and resilience around the ecological crisis."

Download the toolkit HERE