Malta – Launch of St Francis de Sales Institute by Don Bosco Foundation

27 January 2023

(ANS – Sliema) – On the feast of St. Francis de Sales marking the 400th anniversary, the Don Bosco Foundation in Malta has launched a new educational institute for non-formal education, offering courses to train educators as well as young people and provide them with an array of soft skills that will be useful throughout their lives.

The St Francis De Sales Institute aims to offer an opportunity to develop oneself and gain the skills related to youth spirituality, pastoral ministry, youth work, education and pedagogy, and personal development.  The Salesian educational approach will be the focus of the delivery of these courses through  non-formal education.

During the launch, it was explained that the non-formal method of education will be supported with a service producer and programme accreditation license being obtained from the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority.  This means that the courses of this new educational Institute will have a European accreditation.

Marica Aquilina, the Project Coordinator of the Salesians of Don Bosco, explained that the aim of the institute is to give more value to the experiences of young people who participate in non-formal education.  “Youths and adults will be able to gain knowledge and skills that are useful at work, in organisations they participate in, and in life in general, while also receiving a certificate for it,” she said.

Fr Robert Falzon, the Head of the Institute, stated that although the content of these courses is valuable, the method of teaching will be prioritized. He explained that the content is focused on the knowledge exterior to the individual, yet the method is focused on the individuals and its holistic wellbeing.

During the launch, the second edition of "St. Francis de Sales: The Bee and the Blossoms" was also launched.  This book is a collection of essays covering different aspects of St. Francis de Sales and includes the Apostolic Letter Totum Amoris Est by Pope Francis.

 

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