Science and Religion Summer Seminar at University of Notre Dame - High School Teachers Take Note!

The Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame wishes to extend an invitation to the high schools in our diocese to participate in a summer seminar developed for high school teachers of the sciences and religion on June 14-19, 2015. The seminar has been developed with the aim of assisting teachers in the classroom as they strive to integrate scientific and religious perspectives into their curriculum. We believe this is especially important because many contemporary voices continue to promote themes of conflict and separation between religion and science.

Through the generosity of the John Templeton Foundation and Catholic Extension, this intensive five day seminar is free to Catholic high school teachers nominated by the principal. The Institute for Church Life will provide housing, meals, and course materials. We encourage schools to provide pay equivalent to five days of teaching for their participating teachers. For high schools from Mission Dioceses without resources for teacher travel and development, the Catholic Extension will assist with travel expenses for a limited number of schools.

The purpose of the seminar is twofold:
1. to introduce teachers in Catholic high schools to the dialogue between theology and the natural sciences (biology and physics) by engaging with the seminar presenters and one another.
2. to assist teachers in incorporating the material provided in the seminar and integrating it into their existing courses and presenting their revised courses for critique, discussion, and suggestions.

The hope is that participants will move beyond mere interest in the information presented to exhilaration about their own experience of discovering rich connections previously unnoticed. Subsequently teachers will incorporate the material into their classes, test it and evaluate it.

Seminar presenters include Guy Consolmagno, S.J. of the Vatican Observatory, John C. Cavadini, Notre Dame, John M. Braverman, S.J., St. Joseph University, and Nicanor P.G. Autriaco, O.P., Providence College. Full details are available on our website: http://icl.nd.edu/seminar2015.

We will offer teachers participation either as on-campus residents or through live, online attendance for those unable to come to Notre Dame. We ask that you recommend at least one teacher from each subject are - biology, physics, and religion - to the seminar (Chemistry and math teachers may participate in either the seminar material into their existing courses and, where feasible, create new capstone courses for a minimum of three teachers from each school, those schools choosing to send teachers from three different subject areas will receive first priority. Please note that the seminar provides space for only 36 teachers for on-campus participation.

We will begin to review applications November 15, 2014 and continue until the seminar is full. Schools will be notified of admission decisions by December 15, 2014.

We intend th eseminars to be both informational and formational. I hope you will consider recommending your teachers; if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Patricia Bellm either by email at seminar2015@nd.edu or phone, 574-631-1379.

On behalf of John C. Cavadini
McGrath-Cavadini Director, Institute for Church Life
Professor, Department of Theology