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Mentor principals have played a critical role in the success of the Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI) since the program’s inception in 2012. The experience, accountability, and personal attention that these leaders provide has been a defining characteristic of the LEI, helping Catholic school principals—and their teams— institute lasting changes. 

After schools attend the LEI summer conference, mentor principals maintain regular contact with the 4-6 school leaders in their group through monthly video conference calls. These conversations, which focus on various themes related to Latino outreach, recruitment, and enrollment, are an opportunity for school leaders to learn from one another and receive real-time consultation and feedback from their mentor on some of the things that they’re doing in their school. 

The commitment of our LEI mentors, most of whom are still active Catholic school principals themselves, is truly the engine that drives the LEI.  

This month, we highlight Yvonne Schwab, one of our longest-serving mentors in the LEI. Yvonne is the former principal of St. James the Less School in Columbus, Ohio, where she was recognized nationally for her outstanding leadership. She has also served as a mentor principal for the LEI since the program's inception in 2012.

The first day of school. That phrase evokes a host of experiences and emotions. Students lined up well before the first bell, eager to reconnect with classmates they did not see over the summer. Opening new school supplies and coloring with a fresh crayon. And then a little nervousness that comes with wondering how much homework the teacher might give or which friends will be in the same class.

Join our Catholic School Advantage team as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th-October 15th. Check back often, as we'll continue to add  resources to help you honor this special month in your homes and classrooms. 

NOTRE DAME, Indiana –The University of Notre Dame Athletics Department and the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) have partnered with the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation for the sixth consecutive year to make a difference for teachers through the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) platform.

The University of Notre Dame and its global network, including the University of Notre Dame at Tantur in Jerusalem, signed a memorandum of understanding agreement with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. The agreement was made official today during a virtual ceremony, signed by Yad Vashem Director General Dorit Novak and Michael Pippenger, vice president and associate provost for internationalization at the University of Notre Dame.

In addition to the agreement signing, scholars from both institutions offered remarks that explore how people dehumanized and murdered millions of people, and the role healing justice plays in our world today. This is the focus of a new online educational tool recently uploaded to the Yad Vashem website. This resource raises open questions to encourage thoughtful discussion and writings.

"Yad Vashem is pleased to sign the agreement with the University of Notre Dame," says Novak. "Yad Vashem is committed to ensuring that the history of the Holocaust continues to be relevant to us today and for future generations, and not just yet another chapter in human history. Our efforts aim to equip students and teachers alike with the necessary tools and materials to address the topic of the Holocaust and engage young scholars in the need for further research into the multifaceted nature of the Holocaust. Yad Vashem hopes that this agreement will open more opportunities to be active on many more universities and college campuses across the United States and the rest of the world."

This new connection creates a basis for fruitful cooperation between these two internationally renowned institutions. Yad Vashem's International Institute for Holocaust Research and International School for Holocaust Studies will work together with members of the faculty, staff and students at the University of Notre Dame. This agreement also includes developing a strong connection with Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) to sustain, strengthen and transform Holocaust education in Catholic schools and in its professional development programming.

"For decades, Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies has been training teachers from all faiths from across the globe, and it looks forward to embarking on this new partnership with Notre Dame's ACE program," says Eyal Kaminka, director and the Lily Safra Chair of Holocaust Education at the International School, Yad Vashem.

“The University of Notre Dame is very proud to enter into this partnership with Yad Vashem. For our students who study abroad in Jerusalem, the collaboration will allow for greater access to Yad Vashem's extraordinary resources — both its world-renowned experts and its unparalleled archives to pursue their research and become a part of the global conversation on Holocaust studies,” says Pippenger.

“For our students on campus, we hope that the partnership will lead to a better understanding of the history and legacy of the Holocaust and what that understanding calls us to study and act on today. We also look forward to our faculty members forging new connections with the excellent scholars at Yad Vashem to produce research and scholarly initiatives that enlighten, educate and heal our communities.”

Contact: Colleen Wilcox, Notre Dame International, 574-631-2513,

Originally published by Colleen Wilcox at international.nd.edu on Sept. 9.