U.S. Launch of Pope Francis’ Scholas Occurrentes

I had the privilege of participating in the event where Pope Francis inaugurated the new headquarters in Vatican City of Scholas Occurrentes.

The organization was first launched in Argentina by then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires. It became a foundation in 2013 after Cardinal Bergoglio became Pope Francis. My understanding is that it’s the first time a Pope has had a personal foundation. It is now active in 190 countries supporting more than 500,000 schools and education networks.

Scholas strives to “encourage social integration ‎and a culture of encounter among high school students through sports, arts, and technology.” While learning more about the work, it struck me how similar it is to much of the social and emotional learning (SEL) practices being used in public schools here in the United States.

The event was also used to serve as a ceremonious launch for the U.S. chapter based in Los Angeles. I’m honored to be part of the advisory board and look forward to the important discussions that will emerge from this work.