The Grade School Christian Life Education Department of Xavier School held its second virtual conference, “Ite et Docete 2.0: National Conference on Teaching Stewardship and Sustainability” with the theme: “Caring for our Common Home: Best Practices and Approaches in Teaching Stewardship and Sustainability” on February 19, 2022 via Zoom. The event was attended by more than 300 educators and school leaders from both local and international schools and religious institutions.
The theme of the conference is a response to Pope Francis’s recent encyclical, Laudato Si that challenges every person living on this planet to reflect on its current condition and to take the necessary steps to save it. Dr. Stephen Ritz, author of best-selling book, The Power of a Plant, founder of Green Bronx Machine, and 2015 Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize captured the essence of this challenge in his enthusiastic and insightful keynote presentation, “Growing Something Greater with Green Bronx Machine.”
Dr. Ritz shared his journey of building a school community that “grows” with its environment. He and his students have grown more than 150,000 pounds of vegetables in the South Bronx. The curriculum that he developed has been adopted in hundreds of schools across the United States and around the world.
Complementing the keynote is a series of breakout room sessions facilitated by experienced and innovative teachers from Xavier School and other partner schools. The speakers showcased their school’s programs and initiatives that promote a culture of environmental awareness among students, teachers, and staff. These sessions were followed by a panel discussion that tackled some of the most challenging issues related to the role of educators and educational institutions in forming the future stewards of our planet.
Ite et Docete 2.0 is a project of Xavier School San Juan Grade School’s Christian Life Education Department in partnership with REX Education, SENCO Link Technologies, Bayard Philippines, and Tagpros Education.
