This past week the Meitler team had the privilege of gathering at the Carmelite Retreat Center in Darien, Illinois to host the pioneer cohort of the National Catholic School Mentorship Program at a three-day Leadership Institute. The goal of this two-year program is to equip school leaders the knowledge, skills and tools needed to apply the findings from the 2016 study “The Catholic School Choice: Understanding the Perspectives of Parents and Opportunities for More Engagement” in their local schools.
The Leadership Institute was comprised of eleven transformational principals from around the United States selected by their dioceses, representatives from Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA) and the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), who sponsored the program, as well as a dynamic list of workshop presenters. The principals formed study groups with the goal to work together on creating an enrollment management programs for their schools. The study groups meet monthly with the Meitler team joining in those sessions for ongoing support and coaching.
The days at the Leadership Institute were action packed, engaging, fun and provided the principals with opportunities to form collaborative relationships with one another. We parted ways grateful for the assurance that our work doesn’t end here; we are on a journey together. As a champion of Catholic education, I left the Institute feeling energized and hopeful that the work of our schools may currently be “the best kept secret” but soon will become “the best known secret”!
