Rosemont College is proud to offer the course Healing Earth: Theory and Practice once again this fall. Dr. Christine Hagedorn and Professor Joanne Campbell created the course in collaboration with Biology professor Jeanette Dumas. Inspired by encyclical letter, Laudato si of the late Pope Francis, and the University of Chicago’s International Jesuit Ecology Project (IJEP) Healing Earth textbook, the three professors designed the course to address the growing and mission aligned need for interdisciplinary thinking around environmental and economic justice.
This unique course is part of Rosemont’s sustainability curriculum. It encourages students to explore the connections between ecology, society, and personal responsibility. Students learn to examine global issues like declining biodiversity, water quality and availability, climate change, and the shift toward renewable energy.
Learning Through Real World Engagement
Importantly, the course takes students beyond traditional lecture formats. Rosemont’s campus becomes a living classroom where students engage directly with the natural world. Through regular outdoor activities, they observe local ecosystems, reflect on ecological challenges, and begin to envision real solutions.
Moreover, students work in small collaborative groups to design interdisciplinary projects. These assignments combine ethical reasoning, scientific understanding, policy based thinking, mindfulness practices and a bias to action. In doing so, students build leadership skills while developing a clearer sense of their role in environmental stewardship.
New Community Garden Supports Experiential Learning
This year marks the introduction of the Patrick Herman Memorial Community Vegetable Garden. Professors Campbell and Hagedorn see the garden as a valuable space for applied learning. Students will explore topics like food systems, sustainability, and community health through direct involvement in maintaining the garden.
Tuesday August 26, 2025 Healing Earth class visits the Community Garden with Professors Hagedorn and Campbell.
Beyond academics, the garden fosters a deeper connection to the land. It also serves as a space for reflection, dialogue, and shared responsibility. As students tend the soil, they cultivate both knowledge and empathy.
A Vision of Integral Ecology
A central goal of Healing Theory and Practice is to help students become what the late Pope Francis described as integral ecologists. Accordingly, the course is inspired in part by his encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, which calls for a renewed sense of moral and spiritual responsibility to care for our common home.
In this respect, the course aligns with many aspects of Rosemont College’s mission including its Catholic identity, its commitment to the dignity of all creation, and its focus on global social responsibility. Students are invited to think holistically, act ethically, and make meaningful contributions to a more just and sustainable world.
Explore how healing theory and practice at Rosemont College can help shape your path. Learn more about our sustainability curriculum and how you can be part of the solution.
