3 Credit Hours – Faculty: Dr. Nelson Christensen

The purpose of this course is to provide an integrated, immersive learning experience for PK-20 educators, including but not limited to teachers, administrators, school psychologists, university personnel, etc. Educators work daily to open their doors to families, students, and parents, all who are from diverse cultures and backgrounds. The word “catholic” is defined as all-embracing, and at a Catholic Jesuit university we work to be people for others, seeing God in all things. Educators also work to ensure equal access to education, equal quality of education, and equal opportunities in education for all children and families. Advocating for the educational and mental health rights and opportunities of others is a foundational for all educators. Given that educators across different professions/disciplines must work together, it is ideal to provide training experiences in which they can learn together as well as learn from each other about how to better understand their own cultural beliefs and values and immerse in the process of understanding the cultural beliefs and values of others in order to collaboratively advance justice in education.

3 Credit Hours – Faculty: Siobhan Cafferty

Rome is an extraordinary urban ecosystem for studying Western educational and teaching philosophies, theories, and practices. The Eternal City’s abundant culture allows candidates to take a comprehensive view of Western civilization as it has changed over time. Rome has both fashioned and been bent by Western understandings and ideas of self, society and democracy, and visions of what proficiencies, understandings and dispositions should be cultivated in our youth. Students will be provided the opportunity to examine how the vision of an educated person and what constitutes effective schooling have changed over time as they explore Rome and discover its history. Students wrestle with educational and schooling questions and issues while surveying the Eternal City. This class intentionally integrates broad and diverse perspectives through texts, assignments, and Teach Us Sessions at historical, religious, and cultural sites in Rome. Students will also learn to negotiate Rome via public transportation, encounter unfamiliar societal mores and Italian customs, manage language barriers, and meet other aspects of the immersive study abroad experience with openness and an adaptive outlook and disposition.

1 credit Hour – Faculty: Cafferty

This Pass/Fail course is a Writing Workshop for thesis, comprehensive exams, eportfolio, and capstone, dissertation writers. This course is a one - credit hour Residency Seminar. Registration is open to SOE graduate students, non-Loyola students, SOE Alumni, and Chicagoland teachers and school leaders who are currently engaged in professional and academic writing and research. Students can clock at least fifty (50) hours of writing and research during the two week-immersive seminar. Using Rome’s historical and cultural sites as inspiration in the morning, students’ afternoons and evenings will be dedicated to writing, research, and reflection. Students or professionals working on major course, program or work projects are also welcome. Education professionals – teachers, school leaders, and school counselors are welcome for writing sessions, inspiration, and reflection. Registration for Visiting Students or Ed professionals working on work projects, or professional papers must be approved by Dr. Cafferty – scaffer@luc.edu.