Huffington Ecumenical Institute Receives Grant for Climate Education

BROOKLINE, MA — The Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) at Hellenic College Holy Cross has been selected to participate in the third cohort of the Climate Science in Theological Education initiative, joining 10 other theological institutions working to incorporate climate science into religious education.

The program is administered by the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion, part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Participating institutions will develop educational activities tailored to their communities, including curriculum development, leadership training, and programs addressing climate change.

Fr. John Chryssavgis, executive director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute, said the grant would support the development of a graduate course on practical measures for making Orthodox parishes more environmentally sustainable. He noted that the initiative builds on a course the institute offered two years ago and connects with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America's Green Church Initiative.

The institute's participation also continues its engagement with environmental advocacy associated with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, whose efforts have addressed ecological concerns throughout his patriarchal ministry.

The other institutions selected for the cohort include St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary, along with theological schools and religious education programs in Nigeria, Tanzania, Puerto Rico, and several U.S. states. The initiative builds on earlier projects that introduced scientific education into seminary curricula.

Previously, the UOJ reported that AHEPA provided $250,000 in scholarships for Holy Cross seminarians.