Schools share message of Laudato Si’ at Great Science Share
Wednesday 15th June 2022Schoolchildren across our diocese headed to our Laudato Si’ Centre yesterday for a fun-filled day of learning about faith and our common home.
Fourteen schools from our diocese gathered in the sunny grounds of the Laudato Si’ Centre yesterday to take part in the 2022 Great Science Share
The Great Science Share is an annual campaign that invites children between the ages of 5 and 14 to share their own science-based questions and investigations to celebrate science and raise its profile in schools and communities.
This year’s theme was climate action, so schools across the diocese came together at the Laudato Si’ Centre – an environmental hub run by the Diocese of Salford – to share their thoughts, findings, and clear passion for caring for our common home.
Nichola Potts, headteacher of Christ the King Primary School in Walkden and organiser of the event, was delighted to hold the event at the Laudato Si’ Centre.
She said: “The Great Science Share is all about peer learning, so the children are teaching each other about science and this year, the theme is climate change, which is why we are here. We’re linking it back to God.
“We want the children to go back with a message to the schools about caring for our common home and the effects on the world if we don’t.”
After beginning the day with a procession carrying banners and placards calling for climate action, the schools gathered for a period of prayer before launching into a range of activities and demonstrations that explored the importance of pollinators, the impact of plastic and oil filling our oceans, the effects of melting polar ice caps, and more.
Children from each school took it in turns to present their projects to each other and to share their views on caring for our common home.
Ella, a student from Christ the King Primary School, said: “Nobody seems to be listening to the message about caring for our common home, which is why we need to spread the word and share the message that Laudato Si’ has taught us about caring for our common home. If we can make people listen to the message of Laudato Si’, we can make a difference.”
Fellow classmate Gracie-May added: “When God created the world, He was happy and pleased and He doesn’t want it to go away.
“Creation is a gift to us and we need to appreciate it and look how beautiful it is.”
Based at Wardley Hall, the Laudato Si’ Centre offers school and community groups the opportunity to learn more about caring for our planet and changing our lifestyles to become more sustainable.
From passing on practical tips on caring for the world around us, to reflecting on the faith-based foundations of the project, the Laudato Si’ Centre seeks to inspire visitors to take action in their own lives and communities to answer Pope Francis’ call in Laudato Si’.
This response has been embraced by some of the youngest members of our diocese, whose efforts to encourage others to do more to protect our planet presents us with hope for our future.
Nichola said: “Speaking on behalf of Christ the King, our mission has always been to have a holistic approach to education to develop the whole person for the benefit of the rest of the world. It’s the beating heart of what we do and should be doing.
“The Laudato Si’ Centre fits in with so many things from a curriculum point of view and not just RE. For schools, it ticks a lot of boxes. It’s a regional treasure and we’re so lucky that it’s just down the road.”
She continued: “We chose Year 2 to take part today because they have a junior career left at primary school to keep that legacy going, to spread a very clear message about what we have to do to care for our common home.
“We shouldn’t underestimate primary aged children and their search for truth and search for a better world. We can learn a lot from them.
“These are the children who will hopefully come up with the solutions to protect our world.”
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