International Network of Notre Dame Schools Promotes Global Understanding

Feb. 6, 2013 - PRLog -- Ipswich, Mass. – During this Lenten season, students at schools of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur from California to Massachusetts will try to imagine what it is like to live without access to clean water, a reality for millions of people living in poverty.  Through special presentations and projects, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur – working in 17 countries on five continents – routinely raise awareness of their students in developed nations.  Sharing  experiences and expanding worldviews is crucial to the mission of the Congregation, as is encouraging student engagement with the world-at-large.  Very often, efforts exceed all expectations.

In 2012, students at Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, Ohio, raised a record $19,800 in the school’s third annual Hands Across the Water project.  This money is enough to purify almost 2 million liters of contaminated drinking water in impoverished nations, according to Procter & Gamble’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, which works in partnership with the Sisters.  Through programs like the one in place at Summit Country Day School, students study the global water crisis, learn about the dangers of contaminated water, hold events to heighten community  awareness and raise funds for clean water initiatives.  

“We hope our classrooms are laboratories for compassionate action and social justice,” says  Sister Leonore Coan, Director of Mission Support. “When we witness the type of commitment and initiative that has come to the fore at Summit Country Day School, we couldn’t be more gratified.”

Since the Congregation’s founding in 1804, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have emphasized creative collaboration with the goal of eliminating the diminishing effects of poverty.  Read how the Congregation’s efforts are making a difference:  http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs127/1103923442549/archive/1111833770331.html

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur are an international Congregation of women religious, founded by St. Julie Billiart (1751-1816) in Amiens, France in 1804.  The Congregation is committed to making known God’s goodness through education in a variety of ministries. Sisters serve on five continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America, and work to change lives by a “fundamental commitment to stand with our sisters and brothers who live in poverty and accompany them in their struggle.” Offices/centers are located in Rome, ITALY, Namur, BELGIUM and Ipswich, MA, USA.  Visit our web site at: http://www.sndden.org