Mission Institute

The Mission Education Institute is a three-part missionary service experience for 7th graders providing a framework for students to

• encounter, and explore injustices,
• gain awareness and discern the disturbance of injustices,
• create and execute a student-led missionary service response.

This year, four schools (Sacred Heart, Bellevue; Holy Family, Kirkland; St. Cecilia, Bainbridge; Holy Family, Auburn) have volunteered to help create and pilot the first Mission Institute for our Seventh Grade students. The MEI is designed to help teach the standards in through an authentic research, reflect, service experience.

1. Phase 1: Who is my neighbor? Students explore and research topics of injustice and the effects on people living on the margins.
2. Phase 2: Who is showing love to my neighbor? Students are provided with local and global examples for reflection focusing on different Catholic organizations and agencies providing mission discipleship. Students narrow their research to one organization through which they can plan a missionary service project.
3. Phase 3: How am I called to love my neighbor? In this final phase, students carry out their plans for the missionary service project.

Students will gather at Seattle University on March 11, 2015 to pray, reflect and share what they have learned and what they are or plan to do to respond. Students will also receive feedback from peers and experts.

Looking forward? Next year, we will provide all 7th grade teachers with 3 Mission Education Unit Plans with the goal of inviting students to Seattle University again in the spring of 2016 to share their knowledge and action response.

I thank the following teachers for participating in this pilot program, and for helping us develop a great resource for all seventh grade teachers.

Mission Institute Pilot Program Committee: Tracey Yackley, Holy Family School, Kirkland; Dan Sarlitto, Sacred Heart School, Bellevue; Connie Gray, Sacred Heart School, Bellevue; Katy Feeney, Holy Family School, Auburn; Holly Rogers, Our Lady of Lourdes School, Vancouver; Judy Barrere, Holy Family School, Kirkland; Barbi Jackson, Pacific Crest Academy in Camas, and Amy Lee-Despard, St. Cecilia School, Bainbridge Island.

Additionally, I thank Kelly Hickman, Assistant Director Missions Office; Kevin Foy, Associate Director, Western Region, Mission Education and Promotion, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers; Kathy Keefe, Mission Promoter, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers; Joe Cotton, Director of Yourth Ministry, St. James Cathedral, and Dr. Benjamin Curtis, Director of the Poverty Education Center at Seattle University.