Spring 2026 Teaching & Learning Workshop:

"The Legacy and Role of the Catholic Church
and Spirituality in Latin America"

Saturday, April 11, 2026‍ ‍

9am - 3pm

College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University

St. Joseph, MN

Latin Americanist faculty from all disciplines are invited to participate in the NCCLA’s Spring 2026 Teaching and Learning Workshop. This workshop is offered in collaboration with the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP - a national organization supporting teaching, outreach, and program development). The Teaching and Learning Workshop is intended to build on the cross-disciplinary nature of the NCCLA Conference by bringing together Latin Americanists from a variety of different fields to talk about a particular topic or pedagogical tool in an informal, roundtable format.

This year, we are excited to be talking the Catholic Church. Few institutions span the entire history of the region, from colonization to the present day, like the Catholic Church. And the Church’s impact is felt everywhere – from economics to politics, from education to culture. In addition to addressing the role of the Catholic Church, and how to engage students with the unique role of the church, this Workshop will also provide an opportunity to talk about spirituality in Latin America in general, whether in looking at the Pentecostal movement or at the role of Indigenous spiritualities in the region.

This is not an event where participants will share papers or give presentations. Instead, participants will simply share with each other their challenges and successes in dealing with the subject of the Catholic Church and spirituality in classes on Latin America, in readings, assignments, and other activities. Our goal is for participants to be able to take direct action in their own courses based on what they’ve learned at the Workshop.

Registration Deadline: March 13 March 20, 2026 – register below

Registration fee (including light breakfast and lunch): $25 (NCCLA members) / $35 (non-member fee, includes NCCLA membership through August 31, 2026).

Participants are responsible for securing their own local lodging. (Unfortunately no sponsored hotel rooms are available this year.) For further workshop details and local arrangements, contact: Pedro dos Santos at PDOSSANTO001@CSBSJU.edu or Eduardo Magalhães III at eduardo.magalhaes@simpson.edu

This NCCLA workshop is supported by the UW-Milwaukee Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), a Title VI National Resource Center through the U.S. Department of Education.