Look here for program description information, agenda / schedules and other preparation material developed by the National Initiative on Adolescent Catechesis.

Session led by Dr. Robert McCarty. A brief summary of the topics covered in this session is as follows:
+ Highlight process
+ Symposium v. Institute, we are her to discover, provoke, dig deep for richer questions
+ Definition of terms
+ All have something to contribute; the known and unknown
+ Opening video montage

Leader: Have people sit in small table groups of 6-8 with one facilitator assigned to each group. Each table should be a mixture of cohort groups so there are people at each table representing a different part of the adolescent faith formation system. Watch Dr. McCarty's video and then show Video 1: Opening. Invite people to introduce themselves to others at their table

During this session, Dr. Horan asks three key questions. After each one, stop the tape and invite tables to discuss it for 15 minutes. This process is repeated three times (one for each major question) as follows:
o 10 minute presentation by Dr. Michael Horan
o 1 minute quiet reflection on question
o 15 minute group table discussion

Leader: Invite each table facilitator to highlight ONE insight from their earlier table discussion as a strategy to review major insights from Session 2.

To introduce this session:
Show Video 2: Adolescent Territory (5 Minutes) where teens respond to the questions: What are two issues that affect many teens? and How does being Catholic impact your daily life?

In this session, panelists address the critical contemporary questions/issues that relate to culture, adolescent territory and development.
• Adolescent Development/Brain Development – Dr. Elizabeth Kastelic
• Adolescent Culture – Tim O’Malley
• Cultural Context – Fr. Allen Deck, SJ
• Teens and Church – Tom East

Leader: At the conclusion of the panel video, invite mixed cohort tables to discuss the following question for 15 minutes: “What did you hear that the church needs to pay attention to improve the practice of adolescent catechesis?”

This session utilizes a “fishbowl process” with selected responders, leaving 2-3 chairs open for other participants to join in as desired. This is a facilitated dialogue using questions from the table groups that were developed at the conclusion of Session 4.

Leader Recommendation: Skip this video and conduct your own live fishbowl process.

• Bishop – Bishop Aymond
• Practitioner – Leisa Anslinger
• Publisher – Carole Eipers
• Academic – Dr. Robert Ludwig
• Diversity perspective – Cecile Motus

Leader: Invite small groups to develop a list of up to 10 critical issues that the church must recognize and respond to from adolescent culture in order to better form teens in faith.
When the discussions are concluded, invite the facilitators to hang their Top 10 Lists on newsprint around the rooms and to select ONE item to highlight with the group as a way of highlighting the Session 6 discussion.

Show Video 3: Well-Formed Catholic Teen (5 minutes) where teens respond to the questions: On a scale of 1-10, how well do you know what it means to be a Catholic and live a Christian life? Why? And What would you like to know more about in terms of our Catholic faith?

A presentation delivered by Bishop Malone.

This video shows a group of college students in a fishbowl process who reflect back on the highs and lows of their own adolescent faith formation by responding to the following questions:
• What was helpful in forming you in your faith as a teen?
• What wasn’t helpful in forming your faith as a teen?
• What experience has brought you closest to Jesus Christ?
• What do teens need most from the Church to grow in faith?

Leader Recommendation: Conduct your own live fishbowl process with a group of college age young adults.

A large group presentation by Dr. Thomas Groome.

Leader: Invite mixed cohort table groups to reflect on the following questions:
• Define what success looks like in terms of a well formed teenager.
• What are the skills, knowledge and abilities that are to be expected and exhibited?
• Based on this discussion, develop up to 10 critical descriptive characteristics of a well formed teen

Leader: If you use this video, invite each facilitator to present one highlight from their group’s Top 10 List prior to viewing it.
Show Video 4: Those who helped form our faith (5 minutes) where teens respond to the question:: Who taught you the most about your faith? and What qualities or techniques make this person stand out as a great teacher?
The Symposium video shows a facilitated fishbowl dialogue on “What are the skills, knowledge and abilities that we need in those forming the faith of young people in order to help develop the desired characteristics in young people?”

o Parent – Pat Sprankle
o Coach – Greg “Dobie” Moser
o Youth Ministry Leader – Kathy Cho
o Religious Educator – Terry Telepak
o Teacher – Paty Daniels
o Pastor – Fr. Steve Schenk

Leader: Invite people to get into same cohort groups (if a cohort group is large, subdivide them into smaller groups of between 6-8 people). Invite each cohort to discuss the same question introduced in the fishbowl process: “What are the skills, knowledge and abilities that we need in those forming the faith of young people in order to help develop the desired characteristics in young people?” You may wish to assign different roles to each group (parents, catechist, diocesan leader, pastor, etc…)

Leader: Invite people to sit in new mixed cohort groups and show Video 5: Getting there from here (5 minutes) where young people are responding to the questions: What do young people most need from Church today? And What can the church do to make faith/religion/spirituality inviting and relevant to your life as an American teenager?

Session presentation by Sean Reynolds.

Leader: Invite each table to discuss the following:
• Can our present system deliver the results we need?
• What’s working really well in the system?
• What’s missing in the current system?
• What are we doing now that’s getting in the way?
• What’s out of our control and can’t be changed?

Leader: Invite each table to continue its discussion using the following questions:
• What new model, structures, approaches and/or strategies need to be considered in light of the current and emerging environments in the U.S.?
• How should we be thinking and acting differently about adolescent catechesis?
• What’s working well that we don’t want to lose?
• What research is needed to guide next steps?

Leader: Ask facilitators to highlight one insight from the previous two sessions (Sessions 16 and 17) and then show Video 6: Outcomes (5 minutes) where teens respond to the questions: What gifts do young people bring to the Church? And How would the Church be different if it did a better job of involving teens in its life and mission?

Leader: Provide two microphones at either end of the room and offer quiet moment for each person to write down one thing they would like to say to the group. Then invite the participants to raise issues not yet addressed as well as other important insights they feel the group needs to hear and digest. Allow a three minute time limit per person and let the facilitators know that they may speak at this session

Leader: Begin by showing Video 7: Final Thoughts and then invite people to respond at table or in large group to the question: “This Symposium will be successful if….” .
When done, explain that the rest of the Symposium will be spent on defining the next steps that need to happen locally as well as ones they hope to see nationally in order to improve upon how we are forming the faith of teens.

Check the links below for additional resources pertinent to the virtual symposium...