Marist Brothers build their Global Network of Schools

The Marist Global Network of Schools is a project of the Institute of the Marist Brothers in search of structures that help to be a global family. It seems to us that because of its similarity to the Jesuit network and because of its interesting networking process, it could be a good methodological example to publish in our portal on networking.

The Marist network includes more than 600 schools in 80 countries. On October 25, 2021, the launching of the network took place with the participation of more than four hundred people from all the continents of the world and from more than 48 countries. We had the opportunity to participate in the launch with a talk by Dani Villanueva on the lessons learned from global educational networking (in Spanish).

The Marist Global School Network is a project that has been co-created collaboratively with the participation of many members of the international Marist school community. Meetings have been held in which we have had the opportunity to dream about the kind of Network we long for and have shared countless ideas of what this shared dream should be.

(1) In May 2019, a team, representative of the different regions of the Institute, was convened to draw up the bases and design of the project for the launching of the Marist Global Network of Schools. One of the first activities developed by this team was to carry out a global consultation that would allow us to sound out the sentiments regarding the proposed network. A total of 15,956 members comprised of principals, teachers, administrators, students and families from 58 different countries participated in the survey. The survey answered three main questions, the answers to which are summarized below.

• ¿How could a global network improve your school?
  • Strengthen the Marist brand and increase the sense of belonging.
  • Share resources, best practices, training.
  • Standardize Marist training for teachers.
  • Raise awareness about the rest of the world
• ¿What would the best possible network look like?
  • Exchanges for students and teachers
  • Sharing experiences and resources
  • Communication and interaction through a platform.
• ¿What are the expectations and feelings about the network?
  • Participation of all members. Accessible to all
  • Should not generate more work for teachers
  • Homogenize taking into account differences

(2) As a result of the work carried out over two years by a team representing the different regions of the institute, a framework document was drawn up that lays the foundations for the further development of the project and includes the following aspects, which are presented in a very summarized form:

• It is assumed that the objective of the network should be: To contribute to the development, vitality and sustainability of the Marist Mission in the school setting. Its scope is the secondary and pre-secondary schools of the institute or associated with it.
• And the value proposition, those advantages that the network will offer, will be:
  • Identity and sense of belonging.
  • Innovation and educational and evangelizing quality.
  • Commitment to the student in global thinking and work.
  • Use of technology to share human resources and educational materials.
  • Spaces for education coordinators to deepen their relationship and support, fostering synergies and collaboration.
• As a starting point for the launching of the project, some premises have also been established, which are being very orientative at the time of moving forward:
  • It is inspired by the call and principles of the XXII General Chapter.
  • It is a global project
  • It is a collaborative project
  • It creates opportunities to share and maximize resources.
  • Provides a platform for sharing
  • Addresses the entire educational community
  • Aims to contribute to the school improvement cycle
  • Builds on existing Marist networks

Once the General Council, in the year 2021, decides to move forward with the launching of the Network, a process of co-creation begins, through a planning of collaborative activities carried out by the Secretariat of Education and Evangelization. The sequence of this collaborative phase that allows us to dream together the project and outline the network from the collective creativity is established in three important moments.

For the time being, the essential elements, for the global network, that can be highlighted from the projected dreams are:

• It is woven being faithful to its essence, fraternal, evangelizing, putting the person at the center, especially the most vulnerable.
• Reaffirms its commitment to the Global Pact for Education, listening to the voice of children, adolescents and young people and seeing the family as the first and indispensable subject of education.
• Appreciates diversity in unity, modeling unity in the midst of diversity, leaving no one behind, facing crises in a different way, regional, global, not only provincial.
  It is built from participation, dialogue, sharing, solidarity, involving all the actors of education. (Teachers, children, families…).
• It generates new opportunities from a shared leadership of brothers and laity. Vigorous, inspiring, innovative.
• It allows us to be connected, to share, to grow and to learn. It is a network that is close, connected, global, technological, innovative, with impact and that reaches those who do not have internet.
• It is based on and builds relationships, establishing alliances with important entities related to education, sharing resources, promoting the exchange of teachers and students between our institutions.
• It has an impact on society and its communities, overcoming frontiers, spreading life, Marist spirit and solidarity. Building educational excellence offered in all schools, regardless of their level.

The Network is being woven together and, little by little, the next phases will continue to help us to specify the form that the projected desires should take. At the moment, with everyone’s contributions, several areas of opportunity have been outlined. These areas will help to group together a large number of proposals for action that are emerging from the collaborative work, in order to later determine their viability.

Educational quality, Connecting, Sharing, Innovation, Technology, Evangelization, Social transformation, Networking, Connecting

All the information about the Global Network of Marist Schools is available on the web www.champagnat.global. If you want to see Dani Villanueva’s speech at the launching of the Network, you can do it in the following link.