Written by Kimberlee Gorr, Ed.D., director of professional learning, NCEA, Kgorr@ncea.org
Laudato Si’ offers more than a message, it offers a framework for formation. During Laudato Si’ Week, celebrated this year from May 17–24, schools are given a meaningful opportunity to bring that framework to life in classrooms, in culture, and in partnership with families. Inspired by Pope Francis, this week is not simply a calendar event, but an invitation to reflect, renew, and respond to our shared responsibility for creation.
While Laudato Si’ Week provides a natural focal point, its message extends far beyond these dates. The practices and habits it encourages can and should be woven throughout the school year, including into summer programs and enrichment opportunities. This year’s theme “From Hope to Action” provides the context from which to develop actions.
A Shared Moment of Action
Each year, Laudato Si’ Week calls the Church not only to reflect, but to act. This year, that call is especially intentional.
Across the globe, Catholic communities are being invited into a shared moment of a visible, collective response where individuals, schools, and organizations each take one concrete action for integral ecology. Together, these actions become a powerful, unified witness of the Church’s commitment to care for our common home.
For schools, this is a unique opportunity to help students see that their actions matter and that they are part of something much larger than themselves. Whether through a small classroom initiative or a schoolwide effort, participation becomes a lived expression of faith in action.
Communities participating in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform are already engaged in this global journey, reflecting on their practices and committing to meaningful change. Laudato Si’ Week becomes a moment to bring those commitments to life.
Everything Is Connected
At the heart of Laudato Si’ is a simple yet transformative truth that everything is connected. Faith, relationships, learning, and the environment are not separate domains. They shape and influence one another.
For educators, this becomes a powerful lens through which to enrich their curriculum and classroom experiences. How students learn to care for the earth is deeply tied to how they learn to care for each other. Laudato Si’ Week creates space to make these connections visible across disciplines and grade levels, helping students see that stewardship is not an “extra,” but an essential part of who they are becoming.
This is also an opportunity to connect students and teachers to your broader instructional platform by ensuring that creation care is embedded within curriculum, culture, and mission.
Why This Message Matters in Schools
When Laudato Si’ was first published, it reframed environmental care as a moral and spiritual responsibility, not merely a scientific issue or policy discussion. For schools, this reframing is significant.
It allows educators to approach stewardship as formation, not just information. Students begin to understand that caring for creation is an expression of both faith and citizenship and is something lived out in daily choices and community life.
Each year, Laudato Si’ Week is guided by a global theme and supported by free lesson plans, prayer resources, and classroom-ready materials. These resources make it easy for schools to participate in meaningful, mission-aligned ways.
In a time when environmental challenges are increasingly visible, this message carries both urgency and hope. As Pope Francis reminded us, “we must regain the conviction that we need one another.” Laudato Si’ Week invites students to live that conviction together.
Living the Message in School Communities
Laudato Si’ Week is most impactful when it moves beyond isolated events and becomes part of the rhythm of school life. This year’s invitation, choose one concrete action, is simple yet powerful.
Schools might begin by asking: “What is one step we can take during Laudato Si’ week?”
That action could take many forms. Perhaps a shift in school practices, a dedicated time of prayer or reflection, or an act of care for creation or for those most affected by environmental challenges. What matters is that it is intentional, meaningful, and appropriate to your community.
Once completed, schools participating in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform can record their action, contributing to a global witness of faith in action. Even for those not formally part of the platform, the act itself remains significant. It forms habits, shapes culture, and reinforces mission.
Over time, it is these small, consistent actions that create lasting impact.
Centering Renewal and Hope
Laudato Si’ Week ultimately points us toward renewal. It is an opportunity for schools to recommit to forming students who understand that their choices matter and that they are part of something larger than themselves.
By encouraging reflection and fostering a sense of collective responsibility, educators help students imagine solutions, take action, and grow in awareness. Care for our common home becomes not just an environmental concern, but an expression of faith in action.
In this way, Laudato Si’ Week reminds us that education is not only academic, it is spiritual and communal. And through that formation, students learn to live with intention, gratitude, and hope.
Resources
To support your planning and participation:
- Official Laudato Si’ Week resources, including this year’s theme, lesson plans, and prayer materials
- NCEA Laudato Si’ resource page
- Laudato Si’ Action Platform
- Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home
These resources can help your school prepare, participate, and continue the work of integral ecology—not just during this week, but throughout the year.
