Dear RISKers,
Welcome! I am thrilled that you are joining us for our inaugural RISK conference. This
year’s topic will help us to collaboratively respond to our individual challenges with the
integration of Laudato Si and sustainability into our work.
As a former K-12 educator and new lecturer at Santa Clara University, my participation
in the Laudato Si Faculty Reading group was transformative. Through rigorous discourse
and debate on the encyclical, I grappled with complex economic and environmental
issues with expert colleagues from myriad disciplines. The interdisciplinary nature of the
expertise in the room promoted creative and divergent thinking; our group instantiated
the appeal of Pope Francis to engage with others who think differently and work together
to care for our common home.
To extend my work in this group and to build upon the visionary conference hosted this
past November at Santa Clara University, "Our Future on a Shared Planet: Silicon
Valley in Conversation with the Environmental Teachings of Pope Francis" I developed
this conference for high school teachers in collaboration with Christopher Wemp and the
Center for Professional Development in the School of Education and Counseling
Psychology. I know there is a need for high quality professional learning for high school
teachers. With the support of Dr. Elizabeth Berkes and other high school teachers, we
have created RISK to provide space for reflection, dialogue, fellowship, networking and
reciprocal learning. We seek to leverage the expertise of Santa Clara University faculty
and high school teachers to support the formation of sustainable partnerships. We thank
you for embarking on this journey with us, and we look forward to hearing and using
your feedback to iterate RISK in the future.
We are truly honored to have you join us this week to learn, reflect and innovate. As
educators, we learn not just to grow but to serve and facilitate the growth of our students.
On behalf of the students whose futures you cultivate, thank you for being here!
Sincerely,
Liz Guneratne, Ed.D.
