(May 6)
ACE in the Community
ACE is blessed to have had a presence in Los Angeles since 2000. Currently, nine teachers constitute two faith communities, known as LA East and LA South Central. LA East is based in Bellflower, about a 20-30 minute drive from the heart of downtown Los Angeles and our other ACE community. In East LA, five teachers currently serve two schools, St. Albert the Great Elementary and Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High School. In South Central, four teachers serve three schools, Immaculate Conception School, St. Michael’s Elementary School, and St. Mary School. The city provides the ACE teachers with ample opportunities to reach out to a very diverse student population.
The Catholic School Advantage campaign works in partnership with 20 different schools in the Los Angeles area, including Our Lady of the Holy Rosary School, which provides an example of the Madrinas initiative, which has prompted significant increases in enrollment, particularly among Latino students. Through the Madrinas program and participation in ACE’s Principals Academy and School Pastors Institute, archdiocesan school leaders have generated hope and made significant changes to reverse trends of declining enrollment.
Where We’ll Be
Tuesday, May 6
10:00am PST - School event at Immaculate Conception
830 Green Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Event Point of Contact: Garrett Mandeville,
Award Recipients
The University of Notre Dame Sorin Award for Service to Catholic Schools
A Sorin Award will go to Megan Hernandez, whose philanthropic endeavors have touched and enriched the lives of scores of children in the Los Angeles area. Along with her husband Rick, she has invested a tremendous amount of her time and resources to fostering children’s mental and physical health, as well as their education. She has contributed her talents and insights to ACE directly through our Advisory Board. Among other activities, Hernandez has worked tirelessly as a member of Las Madrinas, Children’s Chain, and the Spiritual Care Guild, all supporting organizations of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
A Sorin Award will also go to John and Dorothy Shea, who have donated millions of dollars to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles schools, enabling thousands of disadvantaged students to obtain a quality education. The Sheas established a foundation dedicated to the belief that students who attend Catholic schools are on their way to making a positive difference in the world. Over the years, the John and Dorothy Shea Foundation has provided funds to support kindergartens in 28 archdiocesan schools--along with many other important educational institutions and initiatives in low-income neighborhoods.