A group of 11 Georgetown Prep students attended the Ignatian Family Teach In for Justice (IFTJ) in Washington, DC from October 28-30. The students were able to dive deeper into social justice issues while connecting with other Jesuit educated students from across the country. IFTJ hosted workshops and breakout sessions over the weekend, and ended with an Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill on Monday. The students met with local representatives to bring attention to their chosen issues: refugee work and climate change. 

The theme of the conference this year was Boundless and Beloved. We are boundless: unified in difference. We are beloved: working for justice witnesses to that love. There were several wonderful keynote speakers, such as Monique Trusclair Maddox, CEO and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation and Sr. Norma Pimentel, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.

Other valuable sessions were:

• It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way: Sharing Our Learning, Praying, and Advocacy to End Gun Violence
• Migration Realities and Reflections: A Conversation with Jesuit Border Ministries
• Uniting Advocacy with Community Engagement as a High School Student
• For People and Planet: Bring Ethical Purchasing to Your Campus
• Experiencia Laboral: A Picture of a Worthy Job
• Harnessing a Boundless Imagination: Pop Culture as Holy Resistance

Some of our Prep students shared their experience.

Brandon Bedestani '27 said, "This weekend was great. It was very informative and more than anything fun. I was able to meet fellow students from different states and schools. I learned about gun violence, the war in Ukraine, and the events going on in Palestine and Israel. I have a completely different look on justice now. I had the common misconception that justice is just judicially based, but there are many more types and ways to apply them all."

Manuel Villegas '25 shared, "the teach-in was a great experience because I could listen to speakers who were experts on social justice. One session I found insightful was Alternative Models to Fast Fashion. The speakers, Eric Henry and Rebecca Ballard, spoke about how we should be cautious on where the clothes we buy come from. I hope to use the information I heard and implement it in our community at Prep."

Joseph Allen '24 said, "The biggest idea from IFTJ was the issue of gun violence. I knew that gun violence was a systematic issue, but I didn't know to what extent. Gun violence is rooted from lack of education, healthcare, food, and a good community environment. Especially in cities like Chicago and Baltimore. In order to even start solving this issue of gun violence within large cities, we need to start looking at the root of the problem and start there."

 

As part of the Ignatian Family Teach In for Justice, GP Students from Refugee Action Team meet with Sung Chung, legislative correspondent for Senator Chris Van Hollen, advocating for immigration reform.