On April 30, Barry welcomed 150 participants to campus for the Ecological Action Showcase for Catholic youth, the second of three annual installments of programming for South Florida's Youth Ecological Action Network. Eight of the network's thirteen participating Catholic schools took part, arriving not as an audience but as exhibitors, ready to show what they had built since being inspired in the fall.
The day opened with a keynote address centered on gratitude and the stewardship of creation by Brenna Davis of the Ignatian Solidarity Network, and unfolded through school exhibitions, eco-spirituality activities, and the presentation of the Earth Keeper Awards.
Participants viewed art installations in the Barry library, including the ART for EARTH K–12 water bottle competition. The competition involved a national call for student art on ecological themes organized by Laudato Si' Council member and Fine Arts faculty Bryan Hively, supported by Barry's Green Team and the Adrian Dominican Institute for Mission, Teaching and Learning. The contest drew more than 500 submissions from across the country and will now run annually.
The Showcase also featured a performance by the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, whose musicians play instruments built from landfill waste.
The Showcase reflects what the Youth Ecological Action Network is designed to do: move students from learning about integral ecology to practicing it, and then to presenting it to their peers.
This initiative could not have taken place without the dedication of the participating teachers, school team advisors, and Laudato Si' Council members and Barry student volunteers, and every student who brought their work to campus. The inspiration to care for creation was palpable.
