Interview and public speaking can seem intimidating, but they’re both critical avenues for bringing your message to a wider audience. The key to acing an interview or speech is preparation: know your messages, know your facts, and know your audience. The better you know who your target audience is, the better you can shape your messaging to appeal to that group of people through whatever medium you’re using.
This program is designed with the 2016 Feast of St. Francis (October 4) in mind. However, we hope you will feel free to implement the program at a time that is convenient to your parish or school.
As you know, Pope Francis was so inspired by St. Francis of Assisi that he is the first Roman pontiff to take the saint’s name. He has challenged us to make care for creation and care for the poor a cornerstone of our Catholic witness.
This year marks the 37th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi being named the Patron Saint of those who promote ecology by St. John Paul II.
Created by Catholic school teachers and librarians in a Murray Institute Course at the University of St. Thomas (MN), this educational packet is a guide for a school-wide, immersive study of Pope Francis's Laudato Si' for students in grades K-12. It can be found below.
Impact of Climate Change Reflection Guide, from the Sisters of Mercy lays out crucial climate change concerns as they correlate to the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy. Outlining issues dealing with the Earth and ecosystems, racism, immigration and internal displacement, escalating conflict, and the education and empowerment of women, this reflection guide warns of the consequences of continued non-action on climate change.
Healing Earth is a free, online environmental textbook covering the key issues of biodiversity, natural resources, energy, food, and water as they relate to global climate change. Increasing awareness and probing ethical implications of the current environmental crisis, Healing Earth both challenges readers and calls us to action to address this critical issue. It can be viewed here.
Climate Change, from Catholic Relief Services is a comprehensive educational and advocacy guide to the moral obligation of the Catholic community to take action to address climate change. Espousing Pope Francis's teaching that our attitude towards the protection of the Earth is directly tied to the protection of the world's most vulnerable populations, this guide contains personal stories of climate change victims, and outlines what we as individuals can do to help. It can be viewed here.
10 Ways You Can Make a Difference, by the Catholic Climate Covenant outlines everyday steps you can take to help in the fight against climate change.
A 5-part presentation series on Laudato Si' created by Liz Morrison of Catherine's Residence provides an introduction to Pope Francis's encyclical, and continues on to examine various aspects of the document as they relate to climate change. It highlights critical climate issues, including conservation, clean water access, the impact of global warming on the poor, and the need for biodiversity. It can be viewed here.