(1) John D. Cressler / (2) Emily DeMoor

(1) Nurturing the Noosphere on College Campuses: Challenges and Successes / (2) Literature of the Noosphere for Secondary Education

(1) Nurturing the Noosphere on College Campuses: Challenges and Successes - Today’s college students, bright and capable as they are, face challenges to their well-being that few of us faced at their age. Smartphone-free alone time is becoming a rare luxury, and the inevitably addictive distraction of e-Gadgets often stand in the way of student self-discovery and discernment. Sobering statistics bear witness to a trend of deteriorating mental health among students, a trend which clearly works against our shared vision for the noosphere, of community building, of global consciousness. At Georgia Tech, I have introduced a unique course called “Science, Engineering, and Religion: An Interfaith Dialogue,” which is open to all students. Together, each highly diverse class cohort creates a safe space for sharing and dialogue, evolving into a tight-knit community of exploration and acceptance. Each cohort is given the chance to experience a weekend Ignatian silent retreat on “Science and Spirituality,” an often tranformative encounter with both silence and nature, typically leading to deep self-reflection on meaning and purpose. In this talk, I will address the challenges facing our young people, and useful approaches that can make a difference in nuturing the noosphere among them. - John D. Cressler