Leila Marques Alves Belo, a Grade 11C student from Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loyola (CSIL), has been part of the Loyola family since the 7th grade. What she values most about her school is not only the academic knowledge it provides but its deeper mission of forming “men and women for others.” As she puts it, “Most students who graduate from this school carry with them a strong moral conscience.”
Her journey with Laudato Si’ began at Loyola, where she first learned about the encyclical. Knowing it, she realized that many of its lessons were already part of her daily life since childhood, thanks to her parents’ reminders to keep the house clean and never throw waste carelessly. “When I studied here, I received more formation about Laudato Si’, and it helped me to truly understand and reflect on its meaning,” she explained.
For her Action-Oriented Learning (AOL) project, Leila chose to focus on raising moral awareness about caring for the environment within her school. She observed that while many students know pollution harms life, there is still a lack of consistent awareness and personal responsibility. “Sometimes students follow the rules when they feel like it, but if they get tired, they leave things undone. This shows the importance of deepening individual conscience, not just rules,” she noted.
CSIL already promotes environmental care through daily practices like classroom cleaning, waste separation (plastic and organic), and maintaining school gardens. With the support of partners, students also use containers for better waste management. Teachers play an active role by reinforcing formation whenever they notice that awareness begins to fade. Leila highlighted that the school spirit, embodied in initiatives like the Loyola Cup, encourages creativity and responsibility. During the annual four-month celebration, students compete not only in sports, arts, and science but also in environmental innovation—designing beautiful gardens, often repurposing waste to create something new.
Beyond the school walls, Leila’s class has received valuable training from groups such as Underwater Cinema, which showed the impacts of human actions on marine ecosystems, and the local police, who spoke about collective responsibility in caring for the environment. These experiences expanded her understanding of how individual choices connect to broader global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
Her personal inspiration also comes from home. She recalls her grandfather, who never waited for others to clean but took responsibility himself whenever the drainage near his house was dirty. “That really inspired me. He did not wait for others to act—he acted himself,” Leila shared.
Reflecting on her AOL project, Leila believes that even though the changes she sees may be small, they matter. “When I chose this topic, my classmates reacted positively, and I hope to continue inspiring them. Change takes time, but every effort counts,” she said.
Call to Action
Laudato Si’ is not only a Catholic document but an invitation to all people to care for our common home. As Leila reminds us, our environment is a gift from God and part of our daily lives. It is our duty to protect it—not just because others ask us to, but because our conscience tells us it is right. By deepening our awareness and acting together, we can create a healthier, more hopeful future for all.
Written by: Lucrecia Nessi, ETR Volunteer