on the billions of followers of religions
around the world. It has fundamentally
changed the way that I view religion and
interreligious dialogue for the better.”
Regis students recently participated
in a videoconference with Christian and
Muslim students in the Palestinian city
of Ramallah. Teacher Mary Katherine
Sheena describes some of what her stu-
dents took away from the discussion:
between students at Lewis and Clark
High School and students in the Pales-
tinian Territories, Lewis and Clark prin-
cipal Shawn Jordan observed that “the
dialogue that surfaced with the students
in Palestine regarding misunderstand-
ings about people of the Muslim faith—
breaking down misperceptions—is at
the heart of what this learning experi-
ence is all about.”
If our education goals include dispelling
stereotypes and building relationships (as they
should), then we need to go beyond modest
increases in teaching about religious traditions.
At a time when religious differences
are at the heart of major challenges at
home and abroad, it is imperative that
schools equip students to live in a world
of diverse religions and beliefs. A senior
at Regis High School says it best:
As I graduate and enter the real world, I
feel that Face to Faith could not have
come at a better time. Although my
school is diverse socioeconomically and
racially, I have not been exposed to much
religious diversity. I can now enter a
college classroom or a new job and know
the difference between different faiths and
respect these differences. After all, in the
words of Tony Blair, globalization is “a
force driven by people.” I have come to
realize that I am one of those people. EL
I think my students were most moved
by the kids in Ramallah explaining the
struggles of their everyday life, from
traveling through checkpoints to sharing
that they often feel unsafe where they live.
One Palestinian girl remarked that even
though their lives are hard because of the
conflict between Israel and Palestine, her
faith teaches that she must forgive those
who oppress her. As soon as she said this,
another girl in the class snapped back,
“We shouldn’t forgive them.” To which
she responded, “We must forgive!” This
emotional exchange left the most significant impression on my students because
it revealed the complexities of this conflict
and how kids their age struggle in different ways to live through and make sense
of it.
Getting Involved
Schools use Face to Faith in a variety of
ways. Most of the early adopters in the
United States are social studies teachers
who use the program to supplement
their history or civics courses. But Face
to Faith can also be implemented as
an elective course or an extracurricular
club.
Given the long history of debate
about the role of religion in public
life (and schools) in the United States,
educators need a safe-harbor approach
to discussions about faith and belief in
the classroom. Face to Faith provides
a constitutionally and educationally
sound way to tackle issues that schools
often ignore.
Author’s note: For more information on
starting a Face to Faith program at your
school, visit www.tonyblairfaithfoundation
.org/pages/education.
“I had never before thought much
about the conflict and how it is a chal-
lenge to the people there,” said one
Regis student. “This videoconference
brought those issues to life for me and
helped me put a face to the people
affected by the fighting.”
By giving students a safe space to
engage one another, Face to Faith pro-
motes honest exchanges about differ-
ences even as students learn how alike
they are. Following a videoconference
References
Douglass, S. L. (2000). Teaching about religion in national and state standards. Nashville, TN: Council on Islamic Education
and the First Amendment Center.
Eck, E. L. (2001). A new religious America:
How a “Christian country” has become the
world’s most religiously diverse nation. San
Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.
Haynes, C., & Thomas, O. (2007). Finding
common ground: A First Amendment guide
to religion and public schools. Nashville,
TN: First Amendment Center.
Lester, E., & Roberts, P. (2006). Learning
about world religions in public schools: The
impact on student attitudes and community
acceptance in Modesto, Calif. Nashville, TN:
First Amendment Center.
Nord, W. A. (2010). Does God make a difference? Taking religion seriously in our
schools and universities. New York: Oxford
University Press.
VIDEO
What are students saying?
Watch students talking about
faith and religion in footage
from Face to Faith video
conferences at www.youtube
.com/watch?v=eUHAILFwDaw.
Charles C. Haynes is senior scholar
at the First Amendment Center (www
. firstamendmentcenter.org) and director of the Religious Freedom Education
Project at the Newseum in Washington,
D.C.; CHaynes@freedomforum.org.
