Alliance for Catholic Education

From banter, bits, and doing it all for the music and the fans, to the animating power of STEM education as a force for good in the world

Dr. Matt Kloser, founding director of the Center for STEM Education, shares how “The Story of Science” is an unfinished narrative we can all help write, as well as, S’more Than Coffee playing tennis with John McEnroe, and closing out the show on keyboards with Bruce Springsteen.

From summertime foods, frisbees, and exploring Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, to the transformational power of finding the “secret sauce” at St. Procopius and all Catholic schools

Kate Schuenke-Lucien, the Director for Haiti in the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child, shares how the universality of loss connects us and how being a voracious and joyful reader animates her work building resilient child development and education systems that draw on the three pillars of Haitian society: the home, the school and the church, as well as being an aspirational vegetarian, and the fine culinary rivalry between Chicago and Wisconsin (hot) dogs.

From handmade Father’s Day gifts and the origin stories of “Cup of Joe” and FJ’s cookies, to the fine art of welcoming people on the journey and building community for all

Fr. Joe Carey, CSC, the chaplain for the Alliance for Catholic Education, discusses being called to love everyone he meets and serve others in the imitation of Jesus; listening, affirming, and helping people along the way, as well as being related to the Gerber baby, the secret ingredient in his famous cookies, and laying the groundwork for a rom-com vs Disney showdown.

From graduation trivia and Roberto Clemente, Jerome Bettis and all things Pittsburgh athletics, to leading the revitalization of Catholic schools

Dr. John Staud, the executive director of the Alliance for Catholic Education program discusses choosing hope and the example of Christ and the body of Catholic Social Teaching as the radical animating principle guiding the work of ACE, as well as, laurel berries, mortar boards, and listening to The Who and Zeppelin at ten.

From Easter traditions and proper chocolate-bunny-eating etiquette to embracing and empowering the transformative power of the Latino community within Catholic schools

Dr. Katy Lichon, Director of Catholic School Advantage and the English as a New Language Program, discusses the domestic Church and how the legacy of Catholic education can inform our future; celebrating all gifts, talents, and cultures, as well as, Easter egg hunts, rolls, and what can happen when you give a mouse a cookie.

From St. Patrick and his feast day to five-day cricket extravaganzas and adopting a human-centered approach to research application in the lived experience of children and teachers

Nikhit D’Sa, Assistant Professor and Senior Associate Director for Research at the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child discusses social emotional learning, teacher wellbeing, and the role of play in low-resource and fragile contexts, as well as, corned beef and cabbage, four-leaf clovers, and the Emerald Isle.

From The Shamrock to The Dome, traveling a providential path to understanding how children learn and what role education plays in the development of a just society

Nicole McNeil, professor of psychology and Director of the Education, Schooling, and Society program considers the science behind children’s cognitive development and the duality of the power of education to change people’s lives.

From Philly soft pretzels and New Year’s celebrations to the essential role of lay people as “Agents of Spirituality” in our Church.

Fr. Lou DelFra, CSC, faculty member and Director of Pastoral Life for the Alliance for Catholic Education, reflects on ACE as a movement of the Holy Spirit and its culture of discernment, as well as middle schoolers as litmus tests for relevancy and celebrating Catholic Schools Week with a joyful and boisterous racket.

A year-end compilation of just a few of the fun and memorable moments from our inaugural year of conversations. Thank you to our listeners, the team at the Institute for Education Initiatives and the Alliance for Catholic Education, and of course to our guests: John Schoenig, Chrissy Trinter, Ernest Morrell, Neil Boothby, Maria McKenna, Kevin Baxter, Kristin Valentino, Mark Berends, Luis Fraga, Anna Haskins, Chloe Gibbs, and Mike Macaluso. We look forward to continuing the conversations in 2022!

From reflections on being the Notre Dame leprechaun to inspiring lifelong, engaged readers.

Dr. Michael Macaluso, faculty member of the Alliance for Catholic Education and fellow of the Institute for Educational Initiatives, explores the implications literacy has on how we understand and therefore interact in the world, the origins of the new Alexandria Award, as well as his thoughts on a zombie apocalypse, mistaken lyrics, and DC versus Marvel comics.