ACE RISE's New Online Tool Inspires Educators to Engage Their Faith

In response to the needs of the New Evangelization, the Alliance for Catholic Education is seeking to reinvigorate the Catholic identity of Catholic schools around the nation with ACE RISE (Renewing Identity, Strengthening Evangelization), an innovative, blended learning faith-formation initiative geared toward those who work in the heart of Catholic schools. To that end, ACE RISE has launched a new online platform designed with the busy teacher, principal, or coach in mind.

Through this new platform, ACE RISE encourages educators to consider ways to strengthen important aspects of school life, including culture, liturgy, academics, athletics, moral development, and faith formation, in a fun and exciting online learning environment.

"It's the blended learning aspect of the program that I think is key," director of ACE RISE Rev. Ronald Nuzzi, Ph.D., said. "The online courses are welcomed by teachers as convenient and we couple them with a wonderful summer conference and a few workshops in their home dioceses. Teachers feel valued, respected, appreciated, and challenged."

Catholic school faculties are using ACE RISE as a professional development activity and as a faith formation experience, often dedicating a part of regular faculty meetings to discussion about what they are learning online.

"I've been most impressed with the dedication of the principals and teachers," Fr. Nuzzi said. "They are highly committed to the New Evangelization and see their schools as the best place to help spread a new fire of faith throughout the entire church."

In addition to the online component, ACE RISE works with dioceses and individual schools, providing customized reports and assessments for schools geared to help strengthen their Catholic identity.

"We've become much more intentional about our school's four core values—faith, learning, loving, and serving—and about our school theme, 'We Are One,'" Mike Debri, principal of All Saints Academy in the Diocese of Grand Rapids and ACE RISE participant, said. "We've entered into discussions and programs about what it means to have a Catholic culture in our buildings and to connect it to our core values and mission. Now, the students are conscious of our core values even in our elective courses."

Nuzzi said he has been encouraged by the success of the pilot program, but knows that to really make a difference, students need to be engaged as well.

"We have been blessed in our pilot phase with the incredible of support of diocesan superintendents, deeply faith filled leaders who see their ministry as one of faith-sharing with the principals. Calling principals together across a diocese and challenging them to be intentional and thoughtful about their own faith formation is no easy task. Translating their growth and learning into school policies and strategies that impact students' lives is even more daunting, but our goal is to renew Catholic identity and to strengthening evangelization at the student level."