“If someone were to observe our planetary society from the outside, they would be astonished by such behavior, which at times seems suicidal.”
(Encyclical Letter Laudato Si – Pope Francis)
The environmental problem is alarming and concerns all generations. Unfortunately, we have yet to become fully aware of our self-destructive actions against our common home, resulting in disastrous consequences for human health and biodiversity.
For this reason, concerned about this global issue, at our educational institution Fe y Alegría No. 20, located in the district of Santiago, in the Cusco region of Peru, within the Nuestra Señora de Amerindia Region, administered by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary, during the years 2018–2019, we organized days of reflection and awareness with the participation of the school’s leadership, teachers, administrative staff, parents, and students. The focus was on “the importance of caring for the environment and managing waste.” As part of this initiative, the reading of the Papal Encyclical Laudato Si was included in our Reading Plan, and the entire educational community participated. Students paraphrased, created visual materials using digital tools, and presented the Holy Father’s message. They also took to the streets with banners to raise awareness among the district’s population. This effort gave rise to the wonderful idea of creating an integrated learning project called “San Francisco de Asís Makinmanta Purispa Pachamamanchista Kausarichisun”, which in Spanish means “Walking Hand in Hand with Saint Francis of Assisi in Caring for Our Mother Earth”. Various activities were planned and carried out; for example, although our school lacks green spaces, the entire educational community enthusiastically participated in filling pots made from recycled materials (like used oil buckets and discarded containers) with soil and plants, transforming our surroundings with vibrant colors.
Last year, in 2024, we revisited the theme of our previous project, as we continued to witness humanity’s reckless behavior that further pollutes the environment. This time, we focused on air pollution. Our integrated learning project was titled: “Developing Our Critical Thinking and Executive Functions by Promoting Actions to Raise Awareness about the Impact of Air Pollution on the Environment and the Health of Our Region’s Population”. As with the previous project, we included the reading of two key documents in our institutional Reading Plan: the Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum and the Encyclical Laudato Si, both in simplified versions. The outcome was the production of various written texts, ranging from research reports to opinion articles, which were shared with the educational community during our institutional achievement day.
The entire educational community remains committed to following in the footsteps of our institutional patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, alongside the FMM Sisters. We strive to continue raising awareness and promoting consciousness about caring for our regional environment—and, indeed, our national, international, and universal home. Even if our contribution seems like a small grain of sand, together we can achieve significant change.
FE Y ALEGRÍA EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY NO. 20, CUSCO – PERU
