Spiritual Development in Schools – Malta and Friendship Cards, have developed a new programme entitled Journeying Together.  The program consists of four workshops combining Prayer Spaces and Friendship Cards.

The first programme was delivered in January 2023 with Year 9.1 migrant learners attending Maria Regina College Induction Hub Naxxar in liaison with the Migrant Learners’ Unit.

Rev Fr Reuben Gauci, coordinator of Spiritual Development in Schools together with his team of pastoral workers, would like to thank Mr Jonathan Portanier Mifsud Head of Induction Hub and Julian and Joanna Sant Fournier founders of Friendship Cards for their collaboration.

  • Aktar ritratti: knisja.mt/ritratti
What is ‘Journeying Together’?

‘Journeying Together’ means taking our own experiences of life’s challenges and turning them into a gift of support and care for others around us. It is vital for learners to not feel alone when faced with difficulties and challenges for example when they leave their country for various reasons, be it war, job, education, or any other reason; when they lose a friend or a relative or when faced with fears and worries. ‘Journeying Together’ helps learners to appreciate themselves as they continue to grow, love, and appreciate the joy of sharing and learn how to build friendships and resolve conflicts. Learners understand and become more aware that they are not alone on their journey, but just like their peers and classmates, they are journeying together in all aspects of life.

Four Sessions

The themes are related to:

  1. Self-Identity
  2. Love and the joy of sharing
  3. Worries and letting go
  4. Friendships and conflicts

Each session consists of a fun ice-breaker activity, storytelling and reflection, prayer spaces, journaling and meditation.

Learners start by getting to know each other more, listen to storytelling and reflect by taking a situation from the story and process it using the Friendship cards. This is done through role play and by placing sticks on feeling cards, bad moves cards, good moves cards, making up cards and concluding with another set of feeling cards; thus, learners identify which values have helped them to find a way forward in a given situation.

After a short break, students are invited to explore four stations with imaginative, reflective activities encouraging them to pray creatively. The learners are provided with age-appropriate material, templates and resources in English and Maltese, and other languages when necessary. This facilitates interaction and understanding to express themselves in their preferred language. Mirrors, chairs, pipe cleaners, sticky notes, glass beads, stones, paper chains, cardboard paper, jigsaw puzzles, world maps, fairy lights, tents, cushions and drapes are some examples of artefacts used during the prayer activities.

How are students encouraged to reflect or pray?

Prayer spaces are animated to empower children of all faiths and none to explore life’s questions and spirituality in a safe, creative, and interactive way. These reflective spaces encourage personal reflection on forgiveness, injustice, thankfulness, big questions, identity, and stillness.

Thus, four key areas are examined:

  1. Relationship with the self
  2. Relationship with others
  3. Relationship with the world
  4. Relationship with God

‘Journeying Together’ encourages us to go forward on our life journey and helps us remember that we are on this journey together.

Application

Let us all work together to help others. If you are interested in applying for this programme, please fill in the following form: