Gonzaga University announced in a press release today that a $294,415 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will establish the Gonzaga University Theology Institute for High School Youth. The grant is part of Lilly Endowment’s High School Youth Theology Institutes initiative, which seeks to encourage young people to explore theological traditions, ask questions about the moral dimensions of contemporary issues and examine how their faith calls them to lives of service.
The one-week institute is slated to start in summer 2016 with up to 48 students entering the 11th and 12th grades. It will draw on Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si: On the Care of Our Common Home,” as well as Gonzaga’s Jesuit and Catholic tradition, its liberal arts foundation, and commitment to sustainability to address issues of moral awareness with global implications.
According to a press release, the Institute aims to help future leaders consider complex questions regarding the stewardship of God’s creation through a wide variety of activities, including directed readings of sacred and theological texts, mini-lectures, multimedia presentations, dialogue, guest speakers, storytelling and reflective journaling.
An announcement regarding applications for the program will be posted on Gonzaga’s news website at news.gonzaga.edu.
Gonzaga is one of 82 schools participating in the initiative.
