Pupils in a Jesuit school are growing to be curious about everything; and active in their engagement with the world, changing what they can for the better.

Jesuit schools help their pupils grow by leading pupils to be curious about the universe and all human activity, and to take increasing responsibility for their own learning, and by providing opportunities for them to be active in the life of the school, the Church, and the wider community.

Saint Ignatius had the great insight that not only were all things made by God and held in existence by God, but that God was working through all of creation for my benefit.  This is often expressed as ‘finding God in all things’ and shapes the Jesuit approach to learning. 

All things are worthy of our attention, curiosity and study because in each one of them there is the possibility of finding God; and not only God but God doing something for me.  This is why Jesuit schools insist on the broadest possible curriculum (a magis or greater and deeper curriculum) and offer the widest variety of extra-curricular activities they can.

Curiosity is needed to sustain learning.  It is what keeps us going through the difficult stuff; it is what opens up new horizons and allows the possibility of ‘finding God in all things.’  Curiosity is key to the Jesuit method of education. 

In the Jesuit tradition, learning is something to be actively engaged in by probing, seeking, asking, challenging, and questioning until the truth is plain – it is to think for oneself and to become an independent and lifelong learner.

It is not often that schoolchildren get the opportunity to change the world but Jesuit schools challenge them to ‘think globally and act locally’, to get involved, changing what they can for the time being, using what they have learned to make small differences, so that they are ready for the day when they can make a big difference.

When, in 1540, he sent St Francis Xavier to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth, St Ignatius said, “Go, set the world ablaze!”  This is what Jesuit schools hope for their pupils as they step out into adult life, active and curious.

Moses is curious about the Burning Bush and encounters God
Exodus 3:1-8 (GNB)

One day while Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, he led the flock across the desert and came to Sinai, the holy mountain. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him as a flame coming from the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire but that it was not burning up. “This is strange,” he thought. “Why isn't the bush burning up? I will go closer and see.”

When the Lord saw that Moses was coming closer, he called to him from the middle of the bush and said, “Moses! Moses!”

He answered, “Yes, here I am.”

God said, “Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” So Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have seen how cruelly my people are being treated in Egypt; I have heard them cry out to be rescued from their slave drivers. I know all about their sufferings, and so I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of Egypt to a spacious land, one which is rich and fertile . . ."

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd; so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.

When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: 'Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.' And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.

Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

JPP tagcloud image

Tagcloud greyed-out with curious and active highlighted in blue.

Tagcloud curious & active (png)

If you are creating your own resources, the blue used here is: R0 G176 B240

PowerPoint animation

An animated PowerPoint slide showing the JPP tagecloud to begin, reducing to the words curious and active on click.

PowerPoint slide for curious & active (ppt)

Staff briefing paper

This briefing paper for teachers is a quick introduction to the virtues curious & active and the thinking and theology behind them.

Curious & Active briefing paper (pdf)

Quotations

"Love is shown in actions not words."
St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), Spiritual Exercises

"One secret of leadership is that the mind of a leader never turns off. Leaders, even when they are sightseers or spectators, are active, not passive observers."
James Humes (b.1934), Presidential Speech Writer