Ensuring our education programs are rigorous, relevant and infused with Catholic teaching for years to come: $19,075,000

For our youth, the voice of Christ and the message of the Gospel are woven into our Catholic schools and parish faith formation programs. Catholic schools and faith formation programs must continue to play a significant role in forming missionary disciples who have a deep commitment to serving Christ and His Church. These young people are more likely to attend Mass, receive the Sacraments, pursue vocations to ordained service and commit to building strong marriages and households of discipleship.

The Diocese of Green Bay will renew its commitment to Catholic education in all forms by:

• Strengthening the Catholic character of our schools
• Preserving and strengthening educational facilities
• Ensuring access to Catholic education
• Enhancing marketing and outreach
• Promoting academic excellence
• Strengthening our programs of faith formation and youth ministry
• Evangelizing and forming families and households of discipleship

Strengthening the Catholic Character of Our Schools: $650,000

Our journey as disciples begins at a very young age when we are invited into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Promoting an environment that assists our youth to better understand the role and importance of their faith within their daily lives is critical to the future of our Church.

As the Diocese commits to strengthening the learning environment within our Catholic schools, we must also enhance and expand our faith formation programs to capture the hearts of our youth who are just beginning their journeys of faith. These programs will include:

Seminars and formation training for the faculty and staff of each school to     enhance their ability to communicate the mysteries of the faith and motivate students to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

• Expanded Alpha programming and other training within Catholic primary and secondary schools
• Parent discipleship training in each of the 55 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Green Bay
• A Catholic education leadership summit for select faculty and administrators

Preserving and Strengthening Educational Facilities: $10,000,000

21st century education requires flexible and modern spaces that promote excellence with enriching learning environments. Funds secured for this purpose will be used to assist Diocesan schools in facility master planning, extend individual school and school system construction capabilities, and ensure that educational facilities best serve the long-term learning needs of students.

Matching Grant Program
A portion of the funds secured for this purpose will be used as matching grants for individual schools and school systems with immediate construction needs that align with our strategic plan for Catholic schools. This fund will not be equally distributed to all building projects. Instead, it will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that significantly enhance learning environments where local resources are insufficient to meet costs associated with the construction project. These matching grant programs will be administered by the Catholic Foundation and the Office of Catholic Schools.

Ensuring Access to Catholic Education: $4,000,000

Affordability of Catholic education is a critical issue for Catholic families who may not qualify for other need-based scholarships. The purpose of this scholarship program is to meet the needs of middle-income families seeking a Catholic education for their children.

This endowed scholarship program will support middle-income families with tuition support for Catholic elementary and high schools in the Diocese. The initial target will be Catholic families registered in one of the Diocesan parishes. Families who are not Catholic will be considered if funding is available after meeting Catholic family needs. Additionally, should funds be available after all identified needs are met, support may be made available to lower-income families.

This program will be administered by the Catholic Foundation in cooperation with the Office of Catholic Schools.

Enhancing Marketing and Outreach: $1,000,000

The long-term success of our Catholic schools and school systems, as well as faith formation programs and youth ministry all rely on the development and implementation of a comprehensive plan for institutional advancement that promotes our compelling mission. Dynamic communications, marketing and enrollment management programs are all essential components of this plan. Communicating the unique and profound value of Catholic education through technologies that engage the next generation of families will significantly enhance the ability of schools to retain current students and attract new students.

Funds secured for this purpose will be used to create an effective and dynamic Diocesan education marketing program. These funds will also provide training and support to local schools and school systems guiding best practices for the implementation of the marketing program. Specific initiatives will include:

• Comprehensive rebranding and expanding marketing efforts of Catholic schools and programs in the Diocese
• Ongoing training in best marketing and enrollment management practices for local school administrators and those who teach faith formation
• Support for individual schools seeking application to the Wisconsin School Choice Program in order to enhance the number of Catholic schools in the Diocese who may receive state aid for each eligible student on behalf of the student’s parent or guardian
• Implementation of online technology platforms enhancing the ability of Catholic schools to enroll new and retain current students
• Distribution of grants to local schools to support innovative practices in enrollment management

Promoting Academic Excellence: $1,575,000

Developing and implementing innovative, relevant, research-based programs that are infused with the teachings and traditions of our Catholic faith will promote academically rigorous and doctrinally sound environments within our Catholic schools. Providing resources to meet strategic needs, strengthening educational technology and enhancing teacher and staff development will strengthen our learning and faith environments through innovative instructional models. These programs will renew our commitment to rich learning environments that instill the values of the Gospel while championing relevant and emerging educational standards implemented through effective faith-based instruction.

Strengthening Our Programs of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry: $1,500,000

Increasing resources, programs and training will allow regional missionary discipleship teams to provide dynamic programmatic support in discipleship training to all parishes within the Diocese. Creating regional missionary discipleship teams will have a significant impact upon the parishes and the communities they serve, including:

• Increased professional competencies of catechetical leaders
• Greater enrollment in programs of religious education and youth ministry
• Stronger parental involvement in the faith formation of their children

Working with all parishes, missionary discipleship teams will provide training on best practices and methodologies for:

• Effective evangelization
• Identifying, training and equipping volunteer youth workers and catechists
• Promoting active evangelization within the learning environment through collaboration with area Catholic schools
• Incorporating parents of Catholic school children into programs of discipleship
• Reaching out to those in our communities who have fallen away from the faith or who do not know Jesus

Evangelizing and Forming Families and Households of Discipleship: $350,000

Growing discipleship within our parishes begins with enhancing ministries that evangelize and form marriages and families into households who discover, follow, worship and share Jesus with others. These enhanced family life ministries will build stronger marriages, engage parents in the life of the Church and support parents as they face the challenges of raising children in today’s world.