Empowering Future Leaders through Faith-Based Learning
As faith-based and community leaders we are inspired by you and your unrelenting commitment to strengthening our communities. We understand the importance of the services you provide, and we are pleased to provide this website to help support you and your organization’s commitment to ensuring that young children can thrive academically, emotionally, socially, and physically.
These resources are designed to support you in expanding or initiating early learning programming for young children and their families. We developed this program using research-based evidence that stresses the significance of high-quality early learning. We identify practices from faith-based and community organizations across the Nation and include tips, best practices, and useful links. We grounded such practices in holistic approaches that are designed to uplift children, families, and your community.
These resources are designed to support you in expanding or initiating early learning programming for young children and their families. We developed this program using research-based evidence that stresses the significance of high-quality early learning. We identify practices from faith-based and community organizations across the Nation and include tips, best practices, and useful links. We grounded such practices in holistic approaches that are designed to uplift children, families, and your community.
"He came to Jesus at night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”
- JOHN 3:2
Infusing Catholicism into Early Childhood Programs
Faith-based and other community organizations are an important force in uplifting communities and keeping families strong. These organizations are uniquely suited to bring together residents and local leaders to address pressing challenges and provide information to individuals that can be used to improve and strengthen communities.
This website is designed to support faith-based and community leaders and communities in fostering the learning and development of Catholic children and families, from the start. High-quality early learning programs provide infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with stimulating and responsive environments that enhance their cognitive, language, physical, and social-emotional development.
Specifically, this website is designed to:
This website is designed to support faith-based and community leaders and communities in fostering the learning and development of Catholic children and families, from the start. High-quality early learning programs provide infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with stimulating and responsive environments that enhance their cognitive, language, physical, and social-emotional development.
Specifically, this website is designed to:
- Highlight the important role of faith-based and community leaders and their organizations in educating Catholic children and families
- Identify innovative approaches that faith-based and community organizations are taking to support education and learning outcomes for young Catholic children from underserved neighborhoods
- To promote spiritual, cognitive, and physical development so each child has the opportunity to engage in activities that are geared to their interests while challenging them at their individual ability level
- Connect faith-based and community leaders with evidence-based practices, resources, action steps, and ideas to launch and enhance initiatives that support educational opportunities for Catholic children, that foster their personal and academic success
- Empower families to be advocates for their child’s education and well-being
- Emphasize the connection between educational success and overall health and wellness of children
- Recognize that faith-based and community organizations are uniquely suited to take a holistic approach to uplifting children and families
- Nurture the heart and mind of your childen in a faith-based atmosphere
OUR VISION, OUR MISSIONTo educate for formation in faith; to provide an integral quality education; to educate in family spirit; to educate for service, justice, and peace; and to educate for adaptation and change. |
Making a Difference
If there’s one thing children have, it’s heart. But that doesn’t mean we believe they can have too much.
Our early childhood education initiative aims to give young ones a warm, caring place to learn about their special relationship with God and the world He made for them. Through stories, song, and play, children are encouraged to embrace a life of family and community with their whole hearts.
We are committed to forming and strengthening each student’s relationship with Jesus Christ. We seek to provide support for institutions to help foster an authentic Catholic educational experience where students learn, love and live their faith in service to others.
Our early childhood education initiative aims to give young ones a warm, caring place to learn about their special relationship with God and the world He made for them. Through stories, song, and play, children are encouraged to embrace a life of family and community with their whole hearts.
We are committed to forming and strengthening each student’s relationship with Jesus Christ. We seek to provide support for institutions to help foster an authentic Catholic educational experience where students learn, love and live their faith in service to others.
Reaching the Youngest Hearts and Minds: Interviews with Diocesan Leaders Regarding Catholic Early Childhood Education
Early childhood is a critically formative stage of human development and the educational experiences of children at this young age impact their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical competencies. In the U.S., early childhood education has grown dramatically since the 1960s, both in federal and state dollars invested and in terms of overall enrollment. However, despite what is known about early childhood education in general, the picture of whether and how the Catholic education sector—particularly diocesan schools and parishes—is serving early childhood needs remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to begin mapping the landscape of Catholic early childhood education in several dioceses across the United States. A qualitative interview protocol guided interviews with 15 (arch)diocesan administrators about their current practices regarding Catholic preschool education. Findings are grouped according to the major thematic issues covered, including issues such as curriculum, teacher qualifications, accreditation, finances, enrollment, marketing, and Catholic identity. Whereas early childhood education shows great variability in form, content, and delivery both within and across dioceses, this sample indicated an overall increase in enrollment over the previous five years, as well as a strong insistence that early childhood is an important lever for both child and family faith formation. Early childhood programming must be considered a strategically significant component of the Catholic educational enterprise.
