Religious Education teacher Nicole Harkness keeps her students’ interests at the forefront of her mind as she pursues her Master of Theology through the Sisters of the Good Samaritan’s Study, Accompaniment and Mentoring (SAM) Program. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
As part of her studies, she’s been exploring theology and religious education through art, which has helped her think about new ways to bring Scripture into the classroom.
“It’s a really lovely medium to extrapolate the meaning of Scripture, the meaning of catechesis and doctrine through the medium of art, and the way that the artist expresses the different values that we also value in our tradition,” Ms Harkness says.
Her course at the University of Divinity in Melbourne looked at how the Trinity, ecology and Indigenous issues are represented in art.
“I can bring those elements back into the classroom,” she says, “because my heart was sparked by it, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my students will also have that same spark’, so trying to light the fire in them as well.”
Ms Harkness is one of eight women undertaking the SAM scholarship program this year. The Sisters of the Good Samaritan are now inviting applications for 2027, the seventh year the program has been offered.
The program offers financial support to Catholic women undertaking tertiary study at a recognised theological institution. It is open to those aged 30 and over who live in Australia, Kiribati the Philippines or Japan – countries where the Sisters of the Good Samaritan minister.
The sisters say the program reflects their long history of supporting the education and formation of women leaders. As well as helping cover tuition or other study-related costs, the SAM Program also includes spiritual accompaniment, mentoring and the chance to connect with other women in similar work and study.
Ms Harkness says the program has given her both practical help and a strong sense of connection. The religious education faculty leader at Star of the Sea College in Brighton says the scholarship has helped her continue a course of study that is directly linked to her work in the classroom.
She said the program has also given her a network of women in similar roles across Australia.
Applications for the 2027 SAM Program close on July 31. For details, email [email protected].
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Good Samaritan SAM Program opens doors for women in theological study (Melbourne Catholic)
