Ensuring the Future of Catholic Education
The Challenge
Catholic education that is faith-filled and academically vibrant is central to the mission of the Church and our Diocese. Many students seeking a Catholic education come from families who lack the resources to afford it. In 2015, Foundations in Education was founded as part of Bishop Caggiano’s vision to grow and strengthen our Catholic schools. The stated goals of the Foundation are:
- A commitment to raise significant funds for scholarship assistance for children, ensuring that all families who wish to send their children to the Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic school of their choice can do so regardless of their financial situation.
- To provide innovation and leadership grants for our Catholic school teachers and administrators to promote professional development and guarantee an even brighter future for our Catholic schools.
In 2017, requests from over 3,000 young people seeking assistance were received and 1,304 students were provided scholarship assistance totaling more than $2,500,000. Since 2015, the amount of scholarship aid granted through the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund has increased by 22%, and while this progress is encouraging, the recent demonstrated need from all applicants was more than $10,000,000.
“The mission of Catholic schools is to develop a sense of truth, of what is good and beautiful.”
The Opportunity
The benefits of a faith-based education cannot be overstated. Each of our schools is a place where youth are informed by the truths of our world, formed by the values that will help them to mature as leaders in our society, and transformed by a vibrant faith to answer the call to become missionary disciples in the world.
The 2017-2020 Strategic Plan for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport provides us with a vision and roadmap to ensure that our Catholic schools form more vibrant communities of faith, improve upon their record of superior academic excellence, and are financially sustainable for many generations to come.
In support of this vision it is imperative that we establish long-term sources of revenue to ensure access to the quality education provided in our Catholic schools and develop resources to fund innovation in classroom teaching and support for continuing education and leadership formation.
The Solution
A minimum investment of $12,500,000 to Foundations in Education is desired to ensure our Catholic schools remain financially viable and academically superior, while increasing access to all those who seek a Catholic education. These endowed and current-use funds will support scholarship aid offered through the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund and provide grant money for academic innovation, leadership training and professional development for teachers and administrators.
“Thanks to the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund, my daughter was able to transition into Catholic school and experience a new self-image and motivation.”