The Catholic Schools of Las Cruces, New Mexico

In the diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Sister Joan M. Berninger and her staff have successfully created a Social Studies curriculum which incorporates not only state standards for social studies in its lessons, but aspects of Catholic Social Teaching. Catholic Social Teaching has a natural home in social studies subject matter, where students are exposed to history, world cultures, and the governmental and international structures and systems which are crucial to peace and justice.

Sister Joan has linked Catholic Social Teaching to the fourteen New Mexico state standards for learning in this subject. For example, one standard requires learning the rights and responsibilities involved in United Sates citizenship. In the classroom, lessons about these rights and responsibilities are matched with the Church's teachings about workers' rights, America's responsibility to engage in just economic practices abroad, and the Church's special commitment to the poor and vulnerable. Another standard requires that students learn about the impact of science and technology on societies. In Las Cruces they will also learn that "People and human labor take priority over capital and technology" ("Ethical Choices and Political Challenges", Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1983). The curriculum includes benchmarks for success in social studies subject matter and Catholic Social Teaching.