Michael LoStracco, chair of the Religious Studies and Philosophy Department, is one of two first-prize winners of the 2024 Life Worth Living Secondary School Curriculum Design Competition through Yale University's Center for Faith & Culture. As a first-prize winner, LoStracco created a syllabus based on Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most, authored by three Yale professors who teach an undergraduate course of the same name.
“The idea of the competition was to create a curriculum around the book to be taught at the secondary level," LoStracco explained. "The final curriculum will be available for anyone to use through the Yale Faith and Culture website. It was a national competition, open to public and private school educators.”
The Yale program, Life Worth Living, equips students, educators and the public for the lifelong process of discerning, articulating and pursuing the good life across important and enduring lines of difference. LoStracco explained that he intends to propose this as a course to be taught in the Religious Studies and Philosophy Department next year.
Michael Moulton, director of educational technology and a religious studies teacher, was recently honored as a SustainPHL finalist for his work with the East Falls Development Corporation (EFDC). (SustainPHL is Philadelphia's annual celebration for sustainability awards recognizing community changemakers and city leaders.) The EFDC has been committed to revitalizing East Falls since 1995, focusing on creating a safe, well-maintained and walkable neighborhood with a vibrant business district. Moulton was recognized for his contributions to the River Landing, completed in 2021, which now serves as a thriving venue for fishing, birdwatching, paddling and community events.
Both of these honors speak to how our faculty and staff, along with our students, embody the elements of the Portrait of a Penn Charter Learner. We celebrate Michael LoStracco as a courageous learner who is impacting students and fellow educators through the creation of meaningful learning experiences. Michael Moulton’s efforts as a change cultivator have improved East Falls for both our school and our neighbors.
We are grateful to have Michael LoStracco and Michael Moulton in our Penn Charter community, educating our students to live lives that make a difference.