Laudato Si’ Youth Summit 2025: Inspiring Students to Care for Our Common Home

On Tuesday, 9 September, a group of Year 10 and 11 students who share a concern for Caring for our Common Home attended the Laudato Si' Youth Summit at Servite College in Tuart Hill. 

Members of the Mercy Justice Team, Tristan and Eloise, attended online Teams meetings to assist with the planning of the event and volunteered the College to design the artwork for the day. At one of the Mercy Justice Team meetings, members created a list of elements for the design and, with some assistance from AI, the logo was developed.

Eloise, Tristan and Thomas represented the Mercy Justice Team at the Summit, with Ada, Shaylee, Riaan and Ella joining them for the day.

There were plenty of opportunities for our students to meet students from other Catholic Colleges and listen to organisations who are implementing initiatives that address environmental issues. During the final session, students collaborated to discuss challenges around establishing sustainable practices at Our Lady of Mercy College and potential projects going forward. The day concluded with a liturgy. Mrs Adriaans and Mrs Cronin attended with the students. 

“I participated in the Sustainable Clothing and Young People Working in Oceania sessions, both being very informational and amazing learning experiences. The staff and students from the other schools in attendance were amazing to talk to, and I managed to meet a few people who, like me, are passionate about creating change in society. The staff and students from Servite College were welcoming and hospitable to all of us. Finally, the reflections made me realise that there is more I can do to help the environment. Overall, as a member of the Mercy Justice Team, I feel that there are many takeaways that we can use in our work around the College. I would recommend this summit to those looking for change in our world, and how we can help to support it not only from a Catholic perspective, but on a global scale. I hope that this turns into a yearly event for those Year 10s and 11s to learn more about how important this is for Earth, 'Our Common Home'."  Thomas

“I enjoyed connecting with students from other schools, I found the Youth Summit to be a good opportunity to talk to people I wouldn't usually talk to. I loved learning about ways I can help the environment and be more sustainable. I also found the hands-on activities really interesting and fun.”  Ada

“Kolbe Catholic College led the final liturgy as a gesture of thanks for being hosted. It was unlike the liturgies we usually hold. They brought symbolic items representing different aspects of their college and the core themes of Laudato Si'. These included soil, water, and flowers such as lilies, aloe vera and lavender. They also provided pots and olive branches. Each participant received two leaves: a green leaf to write down what we wanted to see in our schools, and a brown leaf to express what we hoped to avoid. The first session I attended was Sustainable Clothing. It highlighted the staggering amount of clothing waste, 24 kg per person annually in Australia and over 100,000 tons globally. We engaged in interactive activities, such as making a dish sponge from old socks and guessing which materials were used to make various items. The second session I chose was AI. Although it was less hands-on, it was incredibly informative. We learnt how AI is modelled after the human brain and how it continues to evolve and become more intelligent through frequent use. It was fascinating to explore how AI learns and develops in ways that are increasingly complex and difficult to fully comprehend.” Eloise

“One thing I enjoyed at the Laudato Si' Youth Summit was learning about the many things that contribute to or harm the environment, like coffee making and the rise of AI.”  Shaylee

The Laudato Si' Youth Summit was an inspiring opportunity for our students to engage with pressing environmental issues, connect with peers from across Catholic schools and reflect on the call to care for Our Common Home. The experiences and insights gained will support the Mercy Justice Team in continuing to promote sustainability initiatives within our College community.