COLLEGE RESOURCES

Care for God’s Creation is not a new component of Catholic identity. It is as old as Genesis, and must therefore be integral to the mission, identity and everyday life of Catholic colleges and universities.
~ Most Reverend William S. Skylstad*

• Overview for Colleges and Universities: becoming a Catholic Climate Covenant Partner by taking the St. Francis Pledge

• College Toolkit

• St. Francis Pledge College Partners

• Nationwide Education Project for Campuses

• COLLEGE TOOLKIT

Take the The St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor with College Toolkit

Many Catholic colleges and universities are actively working to reduce their carbon emissions and energy consumption, integrate sustainability into their curricula, and foster ecological awareness across their campus communities. In order to link these sustainability efforts with what it means to be a Catholic institution, the Coalition and our seven partners offer:

Sustainability and Catholic Higher Education: A Toolkit for Mission Integration

Download (PDF) here.

This Toolkit is organized around the five components of the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor , and each section examines a different dimension of the Pledge by:
•    Identifying who on campus can effectively address each dimension.
•    Offering suggestions for how each element might be implemented on campus.
•    Suggesting ways the institution can go “beyond the campus” into the community.
•    View list of national organization TOOLKIT PARTNERS here.

• ST.FRANCIS PLEDGE COLLEGE PARTNERS

In less than a year, twelve Catholic colleges and universities have become Catholic Climate Covenant Partners  by institutionally endorsing the St. Francis Pledge and implementing the activities and ideas in the Toolkit.  They are:

•   Chestnut Hill College

•   Viterbo University

•   Cabrini College

•   St. Anselm College

•   Stonehill College

•   College of Mount St. Joseph

•   Neumann University

•   Saint Joseph’s College of Indiana

•   St. John’s University (Collegeville, MN)

•   College of St. Benedict

•   Notre Dame

•   St. Michael’s College

•   Salve Regina University

•   Mercyhurst University

•   Loyola University Chicago

•   University of Portland

Catholic Climate Covenant Partnership offers schools the unique opportunity to publicly affirm their commitment to Catholic mission-based sustainability, stand with the more than 40 other national Catholic organizations who support the Covenant initiative, and benefit from the resources and experiences of other Partner schools.  To learn more and register your college/university as a Partner, contact info@catholicsandclimatechange.org.

• NATIONWIDE EDUCATION PROJECT

Film Screening about Climate Change on College Campuses

HOLD THE DATE: Earth Day 2013  (April 22)
FOR:   SCREENING OF THE ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED DOCUMENTARY SUN COME UP
The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change and our partners in higher education are pleased to announce an important climate change education opportunity perfectly designed for the college campus.  Join hundreds of other Catholic colleges, universities and campus ministry offices and host a screening of the Academy Award-nominated film Sun Come Up (see the trailer here) which  depicts some of the world’s first “climate refugees,” inhabitants of the Carteret Islands just north of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

Accompanying the film is a  step-by-step Education Kit with Discussion Guide to help spur discussion before and after the film, and action steps students, faculty and administration can take to respond to the unfolding climate crisis from a Catholic perspective.

LEARN MORE about this event.  Read the flyer here.  SIGN UP HERE.

WHAT NEXT?: HOLD THE DATE/SECURE A COMMITMENT  If you are interested in joining this nationwide Catholic event, please work now with your school’s administration before the end of this semester to secure a specific time and venue and let us know that you have done so. To register, please click here.

Toolkit Partners are:

•    The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities

•    The Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities

•    The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities

•    The Lasallian Association of College and University Presidents

•    The Catholic Campus Ministry Association

•    Catholic Relief Services College

•    The National Catholic Student Coalition

*Bishop Emeritus of Spokane
Honorary Chairman, Catholic Coalition on Climate Change
Past President, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops