When you view this web page, you will be in the middle of your school year and your eyes will be focused on the summer and your academic pursuits as a professional educator. I hope you will consider a summer at the University of San Francisco’s premier program for educating future leaders and educators at the Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership (ICEL) and Catholic Educational Leadership Program (CEL).
Dr. Thomas Groome, from Boston College, in his book Educating for Life, described eight characteristics of Catholicism which articulate a Catholic philosophy that assists our educational responses to the social context of our times:
• A positive anthropology (a good people, in God’s own image and likeness)
• A gracious world (seeing God in all things)
• A community for life (made for each other)
• A tradition to inherit (a family heirloom)
• A reasonable wisdom (thinking for life)
• A spirituality for everyone (our hearts are restless until they rest in you)
• A faith that does justice (beyond the scales)
• A Catholic openness (here comes everybody).
These eight responses are in line with the threefold purpose of ICEL: to build a scholarly educational program relevant for Catholic school personnel; to build a sense of community among the students and faculty who pray together and serve others; and to prepare highly competent, effective and dedicated educators for our Catholic schools.
On behalf of the faculty and staff of ICEL, I would like to welcome you to our SummerWest program. I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you during our program.
For further information about the program, please contact us with your questions.
Br. Raymond J. Vercruysse, CFC, Ed.D.
Director
