Posts Tagged ‘Education’
How the Catholic Church Shaped Modern Education
Do you know how our educational system came to be? And did you know that the Catholic Church played a key role in its existence? Modern Catholic education traces its roots back centuries.
To help us understand, we talked to Kyle Washut, President of Wyoming Catholic College, about how the Catholic Church has formed our understanding of education in the west. He explains the history of Catholic thinkers emphasizing both learning about God in traditional learning and also learning about him in the natural world He created. Then he takes us through the history of some of the most important teachers in the history of the Catholic Church and how we can still see their ideas in modern Catholic education.
Next, we talk to Dr. Helena Orellana, a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at the Institute for Psychological Science at Divine Mercy University, about the role mental health plays in our education system today. She explains how important it is to understand who we are as people, and how we learn. Dr. Orellana also shares how our capacity for attention, reflection, and curiosity is what allows us to learn.
Both were visiting for the Cardinal Newman Society Leaders Summit at the University of St. Thomas - Houston in June 2024.
Is College Still Worth It?
Is it still worth it to go to college?
That is an important point of discernment in anybody's life and it is an important question that does not have an easy answer.
To help with that discernment process, we talked to Kevin Murphy, the Vice President for Marketing and Communications for The Cardinal Newman Society at the Cardinal Newman Leaders Summit on the University of St. Thomas campus in June 2024.
Kevin shared a simple and insightful framework to help us think about whether college is worth it, not only for our own journeys or the young people we know, but also in the broader context of God's call for our lives.
We also talk to Mark Brumley, the President and CEO of Ignatius Press about some of the key things to think about for those who are specifically looking at a Catholic institution.
Ultimately, the decision to go to college or not is deeply personal and should be made with careful thought about each person's individual goals, values, and circumstances. Seeking guidance from trusted sources and reflecting on God's call for our lives can help us make informed choices that lead to the future we're looking for in this world.
For more insight about deciding if a Catholic college is right for you, check out The Cardinal Newman Society's Newman Guide.
When Tradition is the Biggest Innovation
When thinking about innovation in education, we often imagine sleek, modern classrooms filled with smart boards and the latest technology. You wouldn’t be wrong to think that. However, when Dr. Alexis Kutarna and the faculty of Cathedral High School in Houston, Texas think about innovation, they look back and pull from the wealth of tradition behind Catholic education, and aim to do something different. They are not focused on educating their students to simply find a career. While they they do prepare them to do so, they supremely focus on educating the whole person, preparing their students to be good citizens, good Catholics and good people.
In this conversation, Dr. Richard Ludwick, President of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, talks to Dr. Alexis Kutarna, Principal of Cathedral High School in Houston, about the link between tradition and innovation to learn how they apply Catholic Tradition in a modern educational context and why every student should learn how to sing.
