“Our Common Home” Summit in Oakland Offers Ways to Integrate Spiritual Ecology and Education
With Joanna Macy and Corrina Gould
Date: April 13, 2019, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Cost: $100 for educators, $25 for students; scholarships available
Location: Bishop O’Dowd High School, 9500 Stearns Avenue, Oakland CA
Bishop O’Dowd High School is co-hosting “Our Common Home,” a unique, day-long summit on spiritual ecology on Saturday, April 13, geared for educators, students, faith leaders and activists. Inspiring keynote speakers at the event include ecologist Joanna Macy and indigenous activist Corrina Gould, who will introduce the core tenants and history of the spiritual ecology field, which emphasizes the interconnectedness and interdependence of all life.
Summit participants will gain practical tools to integrate spiritual ecology into their curricula and educational practices. In addition to the keynote addresses, attendees will have an opportunity to engage with presenters from the University of San Francisco, Weaving Earth, SustainUS, Project Wayfinder, Marin Academy, Earth is Ohana and Lead to Life.
And they will build important relationships through networking with attendees from a number of Northern California high schools, universities, NGOs and local faith communities, as well as tour O’Dowd’s award-winning Center for Environmental Studies and the Living Lab, a four-acre certified wildlife habitat and outdoor classroom committed to reconnecting students with the natural world.
The O’Dowd community has a long-standing and deep commitment to social justice and Kinship with Creation. “At O’Dowd we recognize the sacred urgency of this moment on our planet, and are honored to welcome this event to our campus,” Religion and Spiritual Ecology teacher Michael Downs said.
O’Dowd is co-hosting the summit with Black Mountain Circle, a Point Reyes Station nonprofit cultivating resilience, community, and earth stewardship.
“We’ll build relationships and alliances to work through the challenges of implementing spiritual ecology education and action in each of our unique settings and provide practical tools, connections, and inspiration to educators,” Black Mountain Circle co-founder and co-executive director Steve Costa said.
Fee is $100 for educators/adults and $25 for students, and includes lunch and a closing reception. Scholarships are available.
About Joanna Macy PhD, author & teacher, is a scholar of Buddhism, systems thinking, and deep ecology. A respected voice in movements for peace, justice, and ecology, she interweaves her scholarship with learnings from six decades of activism.
About Corrina Gould, spokesperson for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, was born and raised in Oakland, (the territory of Huichin). She is the co-founder of Indian People Organizing for Change, a community-based organization that works to accomplish social and environmental justice including the preservation of the Bay Area Shellmounds, the sacred burial sites of the Ohlone Nation, whose homeland is the San Francisco Bay Area.
Spiritual Ecology Network Coordinating Council:
Steve Costa & Ruby Fisher-Smith | Black Mountain Circle
Michael Downs | _Bishop O’Dowd High School
Kailea Frederick | _Earth is Ohana_; _Spiritual Ecology Fellow
Kyle Lemle | _Lead to Life_; _Spiritual Ecology Fellow