July 13–17, 2026
This July, the Office of Integral Ecology directed the inaugural pilot of Camp Common Home for Ecological Action, a five-day summer program integrating environmental science, social justice, eco-spirituality, and leadership development in the Catholic and Dominican tradition. High-school participants took part in experiential learning, supported by a staff of Barry students serving as peer counselors and local Catholic high-school teachers serving as camp advisors. Teresita Gonzalez, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School's Christian service coordinator, served as camp co-director, alongside Madeline Maynard, Barry's integral ecology coordinator.
The week was built around deep engagement with community partners rather than classroom instruction. Campers learned about environmental health alongside the CLEO Institute, joined Miami Waterkeeper for a floating classroom on Biscayne Bay, and worked with the University of Miami's Shark Research & Conservation Program. To focus on the human side of caring for creation, they met with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to learn about farmworker rights, visited the Cultivate Abundance Community Garden to support food security, and traced ethical supply chains with the Miami/Haiti Global Solidarity Partnership and visits to Panther Coffee and Exquisito Chocolates. Campers also carried tote bags commissioned from the direct-trade Atelye Thevenet women's artisan cooperative based in Jean Rabel, Haiti — a small detail that let the camp's own supply chain reflect what it was teaching.
Our thanks to the CLEO Institute, Miami Waterkeeper, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Cultivate Abundance, the Miami/Port-de-Paix Global Solidarity Partnership, Panther Coffee, Exquisito Chocolate, and the University of Miami Shark Research & Conservation Program, and to the teachers and students who served as staff.
The Youth Ecological Action Network programming is made possible through a generous gift from Dr. Sam and Carol Nappi.