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30 last news articles

440th Anniversary of the Jesuit High School in Vilnius 2010-03-07 20:28:03

On March 4, our friends from Jesuit High School in Vilnius celebrated 440th Anniversary of the foundation of the school in year 1570. Fr. provincial Gintaras Vitkus presided the Holy Mass in the Saint Casimir Church, and students with their teachers gave an excellent concert in National Philharmony. Director of the Arrupe Center and the chaplain of the Jesuit High School in Gdynia were among invited gests. Former and present headmaster of the school in Vilnius as well as a group of teachers are the alumni of International Jesuit Education Leadership Program offered by the Arrupe Center. On the photo below: main entrance to the Jesuit High School in Vilnius.

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Second training session in Egypt 2009-10-16 13:54:46

During the second session of the IPP workshop in Minia, participants learn about the dynamics of the integral pedagogical paradigm and the role of a teacher. They also work on active methods aimed to deeper involvement of students into the lesson activities, on multiply intelligences, cooperative learning, case studies, mind mapping, students' portfolio, how to deal with talented student, and how to create positive school climate.

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Arrupe Center continue educational mission in Egypt 2009-09-12 22:21:43

Arrupe Center in cooperation with Egiptian Jesuit Counsulting & Training Center is working in Minia on the formation program for teachers involved in educational projects in Minia, Armand, Luxor and Asuan. The first four-days workshop was concluded in September 12. The next will start on September 14. Because of Ramadan the schedule provides longer brakes for prayer. It also gives an opportunity for the trainers to rest little bit and have rest from very high temperatures. Egiptian teachers, both Christians and Muslims, learn how to motivate students to work during lessons in the school, how to move their will and heart to reflect on the meaning of what they learn and experience.

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Conference in Leuven (Belgium) 2009-09-12 21:59:27

In September 7, 2009, Wojciech Zmudzinski SJ spoke at the Catholic University in Leuven. The speech about the leadership approach to difficult situations was addressed to doctoral and postgraduate students from different european countries. On the photo below: cathedral in Leuven.

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Educational challenges in Belarus (RITA program) 2009-07-20 11:11:59

Polish-Belarussian meeting, financed by RITA program and dedicated to educational challenges started in Gdynia (Poland) in July 17, 2009. The next step of the project will consist of the research among teachers and parents living in big cities in Belarus. Results of our research will help us to build a counseling internet site dealing with educational problems parents and teachers experience in their difficult role to upbringing children.

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Last session of the International Conference on Leadership 2009-07-15 04:31:30

On Sunday, July 12, participants of the IJELP International Conference on Leadership have presented some results of previous IJELP sessions since 1998. Representatives of 10 countries have been working on strengthening international network of educational leaders and new ideas of international cooperation have been born. The seventh edition of IJELP is planed in July 3-18, 2010.

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International Conference on Leadership in Gdynia 2009-07-10 03:46:21

The International Jesuit Education Leadership Program Conference is being held between 8th and 12th July 2009 in Pedro Arrupe Centre in Gdynia, Poland. The 5-day event has been organized by the Arrupe Center (Poland) in cooperation with the Socires Foundation (Holland) and gathered representatives of catholic educational establishments from Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Romania, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Poland and Egypt.

The focus of the conference is on leadership and effective management of educational institutions. The special guests, who will share their knowledge and experience with the participants, are:

Christopher Lowney from the USA - a former Jesuit, who later joined J. P. Morgan & Co., serving as a managing director and management committee member in Tokyo, Singapore, London, and New York until 2001, author of the widely acclaimed book Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company that Changed the World.

Alfred Darmanin SJ from Malta, theologian, philosopher, mathematitian and psychologist specializing in psychology of leadership, Head of the Psychology Department at the University of Malta between 1988-1994 where he teaches as a senior lecturer, author of books The Skilled Leader: An Integrated Approach to Leadership and Developing Leadership Skills. A Training Manual for Leaders.

Erik Bloemkolk from the Netherlands, an international cooperation expert, trainer in lobby and advocacy as well as strategic planning, experienced lobbyist and project manager, Director of SOFT Tulip also working for Socires Foundation in The Hague.

Thomas Roach SJ from the USA, longstanding Headmaster of Jesuit schools in the United States of America, working as President of Georgetown Preparatory School Washington for the last 15 years, the Secretary for Education by Superior General of the Society of Jesus in Rome.

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Reflective teacher - workshop in Buczacz (Ukraine) 2009-06-27 07:17:56

Teachers from Ukrainian Catholic schools participated in a course led by the Arrupe Center in June 22-25, 2009. Participants, gathered in Bazilian monastery in Buczacz (Ukraine), were introduced to different models of staff development and they learned how to grow professionally and personally through reflection on their own experience. Two Arrupe Center trainers: Elżbieta Lauk and Wojciech Żmudziński SJ shared their experience in facilitating students' and teachers' growth. It was third meeting for the same group of teachers involved into leadership formation project promoted by the Patriarchal Commission of Catholic Education and supported financialy by Koch Foundation from USA and Magis Foundation from Poland. Two other meetings took place in Lviv (January 2009) and Ivano-Frankovsk (March 2009).

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Workshop for Christian Ethics teachers 2009-06-27 06:50:45

Today, June 21, 2009, a workshop for Ukrainian teachers of Christian Ethics was concluded. The topic was BIBLE IN TEACHING AND EVANGELIZATION. Almost 50 participants worked hard for three days and asked for future cooperation in frame of ARRPE CENTER BIBLE ACADAMY PROJECT and Biblical Formation promoted by the Pedagogical and Catechetical Institute of Ukrainian Catholic University.

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IPP workshop at Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv 2009-06-25 13:38:35

On June 17, 2009, three days workshop for students and teachers from Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv began. The main topic is Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm.

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Workshop for teachers in Ukraine 2009-03-27 13:19:27

A training session for teachers from Catholic schools in Ukraine has been started today. The training will be conducted by Krzysztof Durnaś from Łódz and the subject of the session is parent-teacher / parent-school cooperation. The Pedro Arrupe Center has been cooperating with Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for over two years now, providing professional training on teaching methods as well as education management and administration to teachers and headmasters from the region.

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Help from Australia 2009-01-10 15:35:57

Thanks to efforts of Mr. Chris Sadowski, the chief of Medical Mission of Australia, once again we have received the finicial support for our activities. This time, for gained funds we repaired our minibus, which was standing immobile for a few weeks and was waiting for benevolent donors. Since January 6th , i.e. from Holidays of the Epiphany, we are motorized and on the wheels again. We thank God for this help, knowing that we can always count on our friends from Australia. Above all minibus Trafic Renault serves us for foreign missions and mostly we use it during our departures to Belarus and Ukraine, where Arrupe Center together with Educational Clinic are reaching with a formational help to teachers that work at schools and educators that are working with the addicted people. On the photo below, minibus in Belarus in 2007.

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Teacher in a Catholic school in Ukraine 2009-01-10 15:34:10

In January 2-4, 2009, Arrupe Center in cooperation with Educational Committee of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, organized workshop for representatives of ukrainian Catholic schools. Activities on spiritual and moral development have been offered by alumnus of IJELP, responsible for Educational Committee, father Ivan Hnativ. Olesia Bik, a psychologist from Lviv Technical University, spoke about relationship between teachers and parents and Wojciech Zmudzinski SJ, director od the Arrupe Center, introduced participants into Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. For the three days workshops, 36 teachers came from different parts of Ukraine.

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Educational Clinic for Drug and Violence Prevention 2008-11-01 11:53:38

By the end of October 2008 the Personal Development Program for youth started again. Our educators visited several schools and they invited high school students to join personal development groups. More than 70 students answered the invitation. Group work is going to start on November 8th. Young people will work on their own personal growth throug workshops and involvement into volunteer service. On the photo below, students are puting their names on the list asigning them to groups.

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Integral Pedagogical Paradigm for Ukrainian and Belarussian teachers 2008-08-26 16:33:30

Ukrainian and Belarussian teachers came to Gdynia to participate in four-days workshop offered by the Arrupe Center as a part of Educational Leadership Formation Project. All participants learned about the methodology of teaching focused on direct experience and reflection. Moreover, they had an opportunity to listen about the best educational practices in Polish schools. The project has been supported by an anonymous foundation from Germany and the Mayor of Gdynia.

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IJELP Graduation - tomorrow 2008-07-28 09:56:10

After the lessons led by Alina Gutauskiene, Wojciech Zmudzinski SJ, Artur Kolodziejczyk SJ and Thomas Roach SJ, participants of the International Jesuit Education Leadership Program are working now with Eric Bloemkolk from Socires Foundation (Holland). The main topic is the ADVOCACY FOR EDUCATIONAL CHANGE. Mister Bloemkolk is a Coordinator of Central and Eastern European Program of the Foundation and currently works on educational change in Ukraine. Tomorrow all IJELP students will receive diplomas signed by Thomas Roach SJ, the Secretary of the Society of Jesus for Education, and certificates issued by the Arrupe Center.

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IJELP session 2008 in Falenica 2008-07-12 11:23:59

The second session of International Jesuit Education Leadership Program started in Warsaw-Falenica. From 10 to 11 of July, Alina Gutauskiene from Lithuania is presenting one of the debating methods of teaching.

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IJELP alumnus became a president of five schools in Lebanon 2008-07-12 11:04:31

On the turn of June and July 2008, Marek Cieślik SJ (in the photo) visited Gdynia. This year he is taking up the position of the headmaster of five schools in the Beka Valley (around 30 km from the capital city of Liban) as well as he will be having lectures in the Saint-Joseph University of Beirut. It is our honor that one of the graduates of our 2-years' preparation course for future headmasters will be in charge of such a responsible assignment and what is more in a place where so few wants to go. Around 200 people has finished our IJELP course so far. They represent such countries like Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Russia, Romania, Hungary, Malta, Croatia and Albania. Most of them is working on a managerial positions in education and is in charge of educational projects in the non-governmental organizations. The second session of another edition of the program has started this month in Warsaw-Falenica. Among the trainers there are representatives of Lithuania, USA, Netherlands and Poland. When the 20-days session is finished, we will start the recruitment for the next 2009/2010 edition. We accept applications only through the agency of the Jesuit delegates for education. The applications can be directly send for the Arrupe Center adress from the north and central Polnd as well as from Belarus and Ukraine.
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Cooperation with Ukrainian center for addicted people 2008-06-29 19:27:41

Our therapists came back from Drohobycz (Ukraine) where they trained Ukrainian team of educators working in treatment center for addicted people called NAZARET. The project has been supported by the Educational Clinic for Drug and Violence Prevention, Caritas Drohobycz, Medical Mission of Australia, and anonymous foundation from Germany. On the photo below: Piotr Lapinski (first from the left) with the participants of the training

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Seminars in Belarus 2008-06-16 00:12:32

On June 10-12, 2008 in Minsk - Ija Smirnowa and Wojciech Zmudzinski SJ led the conference and workshops for more then 70 teachers from byelorussian schools.

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Meetings in Catholic University in Lviv and seminar for teachers 2008-05-16 09:04:49

More than 30 teachers from different schools took part in the seminar organized by Arrupe Center and Salesian School in Lviv. The topic was ACTIVE METHODS IN TEACHING. The day before director of the Arrupe Center visited Ukrainian Catholic University and presented to Development Office Staff the formational approach to fundraising. He also have met faculty members responsible for pedagogical and catechetical studies, and directors of Lay Leadership Center.

Photo: Meeting with Development Office Staff of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.
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Teachers' formators meeting in Paris 2008-04-22 07:42:12

Jesuits and their lay collaborators working in teachers' formation met in Paris in April 9-11. Experience exchange and discussion on teachers formation programs were the main goals of the meeting. Participants came from Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, Italy, Spain, Holland, Denmark and Poland. Pedro Arrupe Formation Center for Educational Leaders from Gdynia was represented by Ewa Swieczkowska i Magdalena Kreft. The next meeting is planned for April 1-3, 2009. Also in Paris.

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Teachers' role in drug abuse prevention 2008-03-30 20:46:23

On February 27, Piotr Lapinski and Monika Jurczak spoke in Drohobysh to Ukrainian teachers about drug prevention and for the next week they worked with the saff of the treatment center for drug and alcohol addicts. It was our second visit in the center led by Ukrainian Caritas. The project of cooperation with Ukrainian teachers and therapists is sponsored by Medical Mission of Australia and anonymous foundation from Germany.

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Seminar in Korea 2008-02-05 15:33:58

Director of the Arrupe Center led in Korea a seminar for sisters from the congregation of Missionaries of Charity.

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Father Ivan with his collaborators visited Gdynia 2007-12-06 07:56:14

At the begining of December Father Ivan with other leaders involved in educational projects in Ukraine visited the Arrupe Center. They studied documents concerning construction of the Jesuit High School in Gdynia and took part in a meeting in SEMEKO, the company experienced in building schools, receiving advice from the president of the company Mr Mariusz Stanislawczyk.

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Seminars for teachers in Belarus 2007-11-05 16:53:25

Our RITA program continue in Belarus. For two seminars led in Minsk and Dokshyce (Vitebsk region) almost 100 teachers came. They were working under direction of Ewa Fraczyk learning how to deal with difficult students and observing clinical supervision approach to teachers development. On the photo above we can see belarussian teachers showing the answer to the question - how to deal with difficult student? Below: Ewa is using sunshine method of teaching in Art College in Minsk.

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Meeting in Drohobycz (Ukraine) 2007-10-02 21:58:03

The Arrupe Center and the Educational Clinic for Drug and Violence Prevention organized the workshop in Drohobycz in cooperation with Caritas and the treatment center for addicted people - NAZARET. Wojciech Zmudzinski and Piotr Lapinski shared their experience with psychologists and volunteers working in the center. See the photo in
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Choice of School versus Social Justice 2007-09-11 19:00:42

At the beginning of September representatives of the international non governmental organizations met in Lisbon at the international symposium dedicated to freedom of education. The most valuable speeches were delivered by J. Barnett from COGREE (Coordinating Group for Religious Education in Europe), W. van Kattwijk from European Parents Association, C. Glenn from OILDEL (Organisation Internationale pour le droit a l'education et la liberte d'enseignement), B. Vermeulen from Socires Foundation, C. Clouder from ECSWE (European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education), and Mario Mauro - Vice-President of European Parliament. 'We need to promote different schools but also variety of teaching styles, methods and programs within a school and within a classroom' - the Portugese Vice-Minister of Education, Jorge Miguel Pedreira, said at the opening of the symposium. According to Mr. Mauro (Vice-President of European Parliament), the state can not decide what to teach and how to educate children because education is about the meaning of human life and not about the needs of modern market. It is parents' right to choose the school for their children, and the state must guarantee this freedom to all families.
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International Jesuit Education Leadership Program 2007-07-21 20:05:39

The International Jesuit Education Leadership Program started for the 6th time in Warsaw-Falenica in European Center for Communication and Culture. The participats came from 7 countries: Lithuania, Danmark, Ukraine, Poland, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Bielorus. 'The way of analyzing a difficult situation, presented at the course, is very useful at work and in my personal life' - Elisabeth Kossmann from Denmark said. Sister Zsofia Iuranyi from Hungary told us that almost every element of the training was useful for both her work and her personal development but she particularly liked topics concerning student's and teacher's growth profile, multiple intelligences and cooperative learning. See more about the program...
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IJELP Alumna came to visit us with her students 2007-05-11 05:50:49

In May 9, 2007 - Andrea came to Gdynia with her students from Salesian High School in Lviv. They studied together with students from Jesuit High School and they enjoyed our swiming pool (see above).
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