Friday, August 14 – 9AM – Noon PST Missionary Discipleship Institute (MDI) Formation Day!

Missionary Discipleship Institute (MDI) Formation Day for participating 7th grade teachers will be experienced via Zoom. Anna Clarke Johnson, Maryknoll, Lauren Hobbs, our MDI Companion and Teacher Leader at Our Lady of Guadalupe School, Seattle, and Sandy Barton Smith, OCS, will be lead this formation day as our was to enter into another excellent year of MDI! All 7th grade MDI teachers are welcome to attend but we especially encourage any 7th grade teacher new to MDI (first or second year in MDI) to join us so we can support you during the 20-21 school year. An invitation email with zoom mtg details has been sent to all participating 7th grade teachers who have signed up to be a part of MDI! New to MDI, Interested in MDI? There is still time to join us! Please contact Sandra Barton Smith at sandra.smith@seattlearch.org. Welcome to MDI 2020-2021!

The Missionary Discipleship Institute (MDI) consists of three units—aligned with our Archdiocesan Religion Standards—to provide a framework for students to encounter the lives of their neighbors on the margins and the injustices that they face; reflect on how the Church responds in love and the disturbance this creates in our own sense of discipleship; and discern, develop, and carry out a missionary response. Throughout the year, students engage in a local immersion experience, research issues currently prevalent in our world, and are empowered to take hopeful Christian action. A commitment to these three units well can serve as your core 7th grade religion curriculum for the school year. Specifically, the Grade 7: New Testament Grade Level Overview and OCS Recommended Scripture References- Gr. 7-8 allows us to see the essential questions, vocabulary and content that is taught during the school year.

The Office for Catholic Schools works with Maryknoll Mission Education to develop a program which invites seventh grade students to answer this call through a year-long class exploration of what it means to be a Catholic in and for the world, integrating faith, global awareness, and authentic living of Catholic Social Teaching. Please note: There is no cost to participate in MDI and activate the amazing resources for our Catholic school teachers.

MDI and Covid-19! NOTHING WILL STOP OUR MISSIONARY DISCIPLES! The culmination of our MDI experience is a CAPSTONE DAY to synthesize the year-long learning and share this learning with others. Because of Covid-19, the MDI team redesigned a 2020 VIRTUAL CAPSTONE WEEK in May! IT WAS AWESOME, please click here!

For a deeper dive into the MDI educational and formation format, please click here.

Please click here to review our MDI Rubrics in English and Spanish.

Questions? We would love to welcome your school into MDI.

Anna Clarke Johnson, Maryknoll at aclarke@maryknoll.org

Lauren Hobbs, MDI Companion at lhobbs@guadalupe-school.org

Sandy Barton Smith, OCS at sandra.smith@seattlearch.org