ACE South Bend
What is ACE South Bend?
Established in 1994, the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) now places over 170 teachers in over 100 Catholic schools throughout the southern United States. In 2000, the University expanded its service to include the Catholic schools of South Bend. As full participants in the ACE program’s three pillars, ACE South Bend teachers commit themselves to becoming professional educators, actively participating in community life, and growing spiritually.
The program draws career changers from a variety of disciplines, recent college graduates, and current teachers seeking initial licensure. ACE South Bend welcomes both married and single applicants. Although you are not required to live in community, ACE South Bend participants form a diverse and unique community of teachers serving the South Bend-Fort Wayne diocese. They gather one Saturday morning each month for prayer and professional development. The participants also commit to an additional two years of teaching in a Catholic school beyond the two-year M.Ed. program requirement.
Now in its sixth year, ACE South Bend supports eight teachers in local Catholic schools. All are full-time graduate students in Notre Dame’s two-year, tuition-free M.Ed. program. During the academic year, they are employed as full-time teachers in local Catholic schools.
ACE South Bend teachers spend two summers (June-July) studying in the Master of Education program at Notre Dame and two school years (August-May) teaching in under-resourced Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. During the summer and school year, ACE South Bend members meet as a community to share the many challenges and rewards of beginning teaching. ACE South Bend participants are encouraged to develop their own personal spirituality in the context of this community, and to share with one another the journey of becoming committed Catholic school teachers.
