Here is a fantastic new program called Jesuit Commons: Higher Education at the Margins (JCHEM). With this new initiative, Jesuit colleges and universities strive to bring Jesuit education to people who are severely underserved: for example, those living in refugee camps. In this video, Mary McFarland, the program's international director, and some of the refugee students, who speak about their hopes and desires. The value of this creative new program can be seen in the expression of the woman who smiles and talks about "my dream." More information about the program can be found in JCHEM's website here. AMDG.
Jesuit Higher Education at the Margins
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Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” which turns 75 this year, was a huge hit by any commercial or critical standard. In 1949, it pulled off an unprecedented trifecta, winning the New York Drama Circle Critics’ Award, the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. So attention must be paid!
In Part II of his exclusive interview with Gerard O’Connell, the rector of the soon-to-be integrated Gregorian University describes his mission to educate seminarians who are ‘open to growth.’
My recent visit to the Holy Land revealed fear and depression but also the grit and resilience of a people to whom the prophets preached and for whom Jesus wept.
The Gregorian’s American-born rector, Mark Lewis, S.J., describes how three Jesuit academic institutes in Rome will be integrated to better serve a changing church.
Children all over the country are being home schooled and attending classes over the internet. The following wikipedia article list hundreds of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_virtual_schools
But probably the most talked about system is a series of videos developed by Salman Khan and his Khanacademy. It started out modestly as a way to tutor his niece in simple math and has since expanded to over 3000 videos that are being translated into several languages. A big proponent is Bill Gates. It is mostly math now and ranges from basic arithmetic to differential equations, but has added many of the hard sciences. It also has several videos on economics and finance. My business requires a knowledge of some areas of biology and I found Sal's videos more informative than most of the text books I have. Browse his site.
http://www.khanacademy.org/
And one of my favorite sources of education is the Teaching Company now called The Great Courses and many of them are truly great. One has access to some of the best teachers in the US including some by Jesuits on a very wide range of academic topics. Go to their web site, look around and find a course you want that is on sale, download it and in about an hour you will be watching or listening to great lectures. I just downloaded the History of Impressionism a couple days ago and another on the Great Cathedrals and each is fantastic. Now I am prepared to go to Paris, Chartres and other parts of France to see some of the greatest art and architecture in the world.
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/greatcourses.aspx
So the Jesuit program should be in good company as the education industry takes on the job of educating the world. Good luck to all their endeavors.