The course will be instructed by Father Dan Groody & Arun Agrawal During this one-credit, one-week course at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, students will experience embodied learning that challenges them to understand and live according to Pope Francis’s vision of an integral ecology. Accompanied throughout this journey by the life and writings of St. Francis, Pope Francis’ Laudato si’, and the wonders of creation found in Mother Earth, students will be able to: examine current sustainability challenges using a lens of integral ecology that critically evaluates the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic factors; connect their sense of ecological agency (via dialogue and action) to an authentic conversion of mind and heart, informed by spiritual experience; and deepen their awareness of the goodness/gift of the created world, the human complicity in the degradation of our environment, and the call to participate, in hope, in the restoration of Creation. Students will participate in both classroom and hands-on learning at the Borgo Laudato si’, an educational center established by Pope Francis that demonstrates how the principles of Laudato si’ can become a reality. The Borgo is on the extraordinarily beautiful grounds of the Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father’s summer residence and a UNESCO World Heritage site located within vast acres of gardens, vineyards, groves of olive trees, and ancient archaeological ruins. Applications due November 15 - Learn more and apply today