In this episode, we explore the experience of Scranton Preparatory School’s recent decision to ban smartphones in their community. We welcome Fr. A.J. Rizzo SJ, Scranton Prep’s President and Kris Cupillari, Scranton Prep’s Principal, who share the story of their experience navigating this timely issue that is on the minds of so many educators, parents, and students.

In this episode, we explore a recent research study from Marquette University that digs into Artificial Intelligence in the Minds of High School Students. We welcome researchers Dr. Gabriel Velez and Dr. Larry Zhiming Xu, who partnered with many JSN Member Schools to engage in this timely research study that captures the thinking and experiences of high school kids in the ever-changing world of AI.

In this episode, we welcome Jacques Joseph who discusses Loyola School’s INES Program (Institute for Nurture, Enrichment, and Self-Empowerment), a free educational and leadership enrichment program that prepares middle-school aged girls to succeed in top Catholic and independent high schools in New York City. Founded in 2019, this unique program is named in the spirit of Ines Pasqual, whose compassion and commitment to Saint Ignatius of Loyola left a lasting legacy on his life. Young women who participate in the INES Program are devoted to making substantial gains in learning, leadership, and service to others. In alignment with the Ignatian spirit of cura personalis, INES strives to enroll highly motivated and deeply committed girls from predominantly underserved backgrounds.

In this episode, we explore how one Jesuit school community has created space to infuse innovation and creativity into their learning community. We welcome Dr. Rinat Levy Cohen, the Director of Innovation at Fairfield College Preparatory School, who was brought on to establish and lead the McLeod Innovation Center, spearheading the school’s innovation initiatives.

Under her leadership, the center has transformed into a state-of-the-art hub for technology and creativity. Rinat has overseen the acquisition of advanced equipment, including digital fabrication tools like 3D printers and laser cutters, film and video production gear, and the creation of specialized spaces such as an e-Sports Lab and a Virtual Broadcasting Studio. We explore how this commitment to mission-based innovation serves to create experiences that lead to deep and lasting learning for students

In August of 2023, De Smet Jesuit became the first Catholic high school in St. Louis to launch an inclusive education program for young men with intellectual disabilities within a typical setting. This program – the first of its kind that we’re aware of within the Jesuit Schools Network – prepares students for future jobs and independent living as adults.

Students in the inclusive education program at De Smet will graduate with a modified diploma that mirrors the course requirements of their fellow De Smet brothers, with the addition of a yearly life skills curriculum to prepare them for adult life. De Smet Jesuit students play a significant role in achieving this mission, serving as peer mentors for inclusion program students.

In this conversation, we welcome Kevin Poelker, Principal of De Smet Jesuit and Sarah Patton, Director of Inclusive Education at De Smet to talk about this remarkable, mission-centered program.

In this episode, we speak with David Card, President of Regis Jesuit High School, about the school’s thoughtful and forward-thinking efforts to support meaningful discourse within the community surrounding the upcoming presidential election.

College Admissions in 2024: Rising Tuition, Standardized Testing, Politics, Affirmative Action, Achievement Culture, the FAFSA, and So Much More. How Do Jesuit Schools Navigate the Continually Changing Landscape of Higher Education Enrollment?

In this episode, we speak with Patrick Gallagher, Director of College Counseling at Gonzaga College High School in Washington DC, and a long-time enrollment professional with robust experience on both sides of the admissions desk. The topic of college admissions has been in the news in a myriad of ways this academic year – from standardized testing, affirmative action and rising tuition costs, to FAFSA upheaval and the intersection of politics on the admissions process. We will explore how this has been experienced in the College Counseling offices at the Jesuit secondary level, as counseling professionals work to support the needs of the students in their care.

In this episode of JSN's Ignatian Inquiry Podcast, we speak with Cindy Davis, Principal of Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington and Dr. Kelly Goodsell, President of Bellarmine Preparatory School, who together form the first female President and Principal Team at Bellarmine, as well as the first female President-Principal team at a legacy Jesuit school in the JSN. Women's History Month comes alive in this conversation with two extraordinary leaders in the JSN, and it will be of interest to teachers and leaders across programs and academic disciplines in Jesuit schools.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Terra Caputo, the Director of the Center for Ignatian Pedagogy at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, an institutional action research center that studies the cognitive, affective, and behavioral growth and wellness of adolescent boys. During the discussion, we delve into the evolution of the school’s commitment to to the Center for Ignatian Pedagogy that is unique in a secondary setting and seeks to explore the intersection of research and faith with student voices at the heart of the work. Listeners will learn about the Center’s intentional balance of innovation and Jesuit tradition, and what institutional support of Ignatian Pedagogy looks like in teaching and learning at Ignatius

In this episode, we explore the roots of catechetical accompaniment, considering accompaniment as a practice of intentional relationships of guidance and companionship oriented towards growth in faith with Dr. Colleen Karchunas, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC. During our conversation with Dr. Karchunas, we delve into the findings of her doctoral research entitled “Removing Our Sandals Before the Sacred Ground of the Other: Finding the Roots of Catechetical Accompaniment in the Thought of Pope Francis and in the Ancient and Restored Catechumenates.” Animating this learning from Dr. Karchunas’ position in Campus Ministry, her research brings to life the important roles educators play in faith formation of their students as they walk with them along their journey in our member schools.