Newest ACE Cohort Strives to Provide a Great Education for Children Nationwide

The Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) has announced and welcomed the members of its newest cohort of teachers joining ACE Teaching Fellows—a group of ninety-six recent college graduates who have distinguished themselves with a record of academic achievement, dedication to serving marginalized communities, and zeal for empowering children through Catholic schools.

This year’s ACE class includes graduates from top colleges and universities around the country—including Notre Dame, Duke, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Washington University in St. Louis, and Georgetown—eighteen varsity athletes, and twenty-four teachers who served as resident assistants during their undergraduate careers. ACE welcomes graduates from eleven new partner universities, including the University of Ottawa, Wofford College, and the University of Oklahoma.

Through their two-year teaching fellowship, each member will earn a fully-funded graduate degree from Notre Dame while serving as a classroom teacher in one of ACE’s partner schools and living in an intentional community with other ACE Teachers. ACE partners with more than 100 Catholic schools serving marginalized populations in more than 30 cities throughout the country. Since the program’s launch in 1993, ACE has formed nearly 1,400 such teachers—approximately 76% remain in K–12 education, while others have gone on to successful careers in business, engineering, medicine, law, and the academy.

“The cornerstone of ACE's work has always been the formation of educational leaders who have the knowledge and zeal to do whatever it takes to help place marginalized children firmly on the path to college and heaven,” John Schoenig, ACE’s director of teacher formation and education policy, said. “This new cohort of ACE Teachers is a tremendous sign of hope for the communities, schools, and, most importantly, children that we are entrusted to serve. These students only get one chance at a great education, and we're very confident that ACE 22 will strive everyday to make that a reality.”