News & Events

Notre Dame Virtual School will focus on Ecological Economics and the Laudato Si’ Worldwide Movement.

Notre Dame Virtual School will focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #1: No Poverty. 

Notre Dame Virtual School will focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #1: No Poverty. 

Notre Dame Virtual School will focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #1: No Poverty. 

Notre Dame Virtual School will focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #1: No Poverty. 

In 2010, the Mission of the Gospel inspired Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN) to open Notre Dame Educational Centre (NDEC) in Malava, Kenya. Six Sisters, assisted by our aspirants and postulants, serve about 300 pupils, from early childhood to class 8. NDEC’s motto, Educating for Life, promotes St. Julie Billiart’s educational ideals of a holistic education.

We cannot hope for sustainable development without peace, stability, human rights and effective governance, based on the rule of law. Yet our world is increasingly divided. Some regions enjoy peace, security and prosperity, while others fall into seemingly endless cycles of conflict and violence. This is not inevitable and must be addressed.

The world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. If recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger would surpass 840 million by 2030. According to the World Food Programme, 135 million suffer from acute hunger largely due to man-made conflicts, climate change and economic downturns.

The jobs and economy of the future will be urban. By 2030, 60% of the global population will live in cities. To ensure decent work and economic growth, local leaders face many challenges.

The Sustainable Development Goals Explained: Reduced Inequalities by United Nations

The Sustainable Development Goals Explained: Reduced Inequalities by United Nations

As Advent fast approaches, the cry from the prophet Isaiah resounds across our world with greater relevancy and urgency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the economic, political, social unrest and uncertainty across our world, together with the devastating impact of climate change on our planet and our lives.

The world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. If recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger would surpass 840 million by 2030. According to the World Food Programme, 135 million suffer from acute hunger largely due to man-made conflicts, climate change and economic downturns.

Pope Francis’s prophetic new encyclical speaks directly into the lives of men and women today! This greatly welcomed encyclical is a beautiful reflection on humanity’s path forward to a deeply desired and sought-after peace. Pope Francis addresses his renewed call to universal fraternity “to all people of good will, regardless of their religious convictions.”

In Lawrence, MA, big things happen and all with the grace of our Good God. In the city, an imposing brick building invites students up the stairway bearing the name: Notre Dame Cristo Rey (NDCR). Founded and transformed by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN), this stairway raises up each day hundreds of high school students into an “education for life.”

Education is the key that will allow many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved. When people are able to get quality education they can break from the cycle of poverty. Education therefore helps to reduce inequalities and to reach gender equality.

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

Notre Dame Virtual School’s Theme for September is Peace. In the video below, Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day describes the impact one person — each of us — could make learning and living peace in our world today in his video: “Introduction to Peace One Day (view below).”

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. The goal is to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. “95% of urban expansion in the next decades will take place in developing countries.”

The Sustainable Development Goals, otherwise known as the Global Goals, build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieving by 2015.