Diocese updates curriculum for Safe Environment, Theology of the Body
Southern Nebraska Register
Students in Catholic schools and parish CCD programs across the Diocese of Lincoln will see two curriculum changes this year as the diocese adopts new resources for safe environment education and Theology of the Body.
The diocese is transitioning its student safe environment curriculum from Circle of Grace to Bridges and Boundaries, a program developed by TOBET, and will also begin incorporating TOBET’s The Body Matters as its Theology of the Body curriculum for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
The changes are intended to provide teachers and catechists with accessible, age-appropriate resources while continuing the diocese’s commitment to forming and protecting young people.
Safe environment education is mandatory for students in diocesan Catholic schools and parish CCD programs. For several years, the Diocese of Lincoln has used Circle of Grace to fulfill that component of its safe environment efforts.
“Circle of Grace served our diocese well, and we have appreciated both the program and the relationship we have had with those who developed and supported it,” said Jeff Hohlen, diocesan safe environment director. “Our decision to move to Bridges and Boundaries is based on helping our teachers. We believe this new program gives our teachers and catechists a particularly user-friendly way to have these important conversations with students.”
(Story continues below)
Sister Mary Maximilian teaches second graders and Mrs. Laurie Clark teaches first-graders at St. Joseph School in Lincoln. SNR photos | Natalie Bender
One of the significant differences is the format.
Bridges and Boundaries makes extensive use of web-based videos to introduce topics to students. Rather than placing the responsibility on an individual teacher or volunteer catechist to present all of the material, the videos provide the primary content and allow the adult in the classroom to facilitate the conversation that follows.
That distinction is particularly helpful in an area that can sometimes feel intimidating to those responsible for teaching it.
“These are important subjects, but they can also be difficult subjects to cover,” Hohlen said. “Teachers and catechists shouldn’t feel as though they have to become experts before they can have a good conversation with their students. The video provides consistent content, and then the teacher or catechist can do what they do best: know their students, guide the discussion and help them understand how it applies to their lives.”
At the same time, the diocese is making a related change to its Theology of the Body curriculum for younger students.
The Diocese of Lincoln was an early adopter of a comprehensive approach to teaching Theology of the Body. Rather than limiting the subject to a particular grade or a single presentation, the diocese developed its own K-8 curriculum so that the teachings of St. John Paul II could become a normal part of Catholic formation at every age level in an appropriate way.
As Theology of the Body education has developed, however, a growing number of resources have become available to Catholic schools and families. After reviewing those options, the diocese chose The Body Matters, also produced by TOBET.
“When we first developed our K-8 Theology of the Body curriculum, there simply weren’t as many resources available as there are today,” said Jeff Schinstock, director of evangelization and catechesis. “We believed then, and still believe now, that these ideas are too important to be reserved for one class or one age. We wanted Theology of the Body to be a normal part of how we form our students from their earliest years.”
The decision to move to The Body Matters does not represent a change in that commitment. Rather, it allows the diocese to benefit from resources developed specifically for this work and from the ongoing support offered by the curriculum provider.
“Our diocese was at this first. Our curriculum development led by Father Andrew Heaslip and Father Sean Kilcawley was groundbreaking stuff. We are proud that our diocese was willing to do the work early on and normalize Theology of the Body formation across every grade level,” Schinstock said. “Since then, some excellent resources have been developed. We chose The Body Matters because we really like the content, but just as importantly, we appreciate the accompaniment TOBET provides to the people who are actually implementing it in our schools. We need to support them and we need to teach this material because the culture is demanding it. The culture often promotes use over love and we need to equip our students early with an understanding of their dignity and that of their classmates.”
Having Bridges and Boundaries and The Body Matters come from the same organization also provides an opportunity for greater consistency between two areas of formation that, while distinct, both involve helping young people understand the dignity of the human person.
Theology of the Body gives students a positive Christian vision of the human person, the body, relationships, and God’s plan for their lives. Safe environment education equips them with practical knowledge about appropriate boundaries and personal safety. Together, they are intended to help schools and parishes approach those conversations thoughtfully and in ways appropriate to students’ ages.
For the diocese, the curriculum changes are also an acknowledgment of the important role played by the adults in the classroom. Catholic school teachers and parish catechists are asked to teach many dimensions of the faith, and good resources should support that work rather than make it unnecessarily complicated.
The goal remains the same even as the resources change: to provide young people with formation that recognizes their God-given dignity, helps them develop healthy relationships and boundaries, and gives parents, teachers and catechists good tools for accompanying them as they grow.
