Community

Why is community so important in ACE?

ACE espouses a vision of community centered on the active promotion of the common good in a variety of social contexts: home, school, nation, and Church. Community in ACE derives from the Catholic conviction that all communities strive to be examples of faith, hope, and love.

Year after year, community becomes a source of life and energy for ACE teachers. It is our hope, and has been our experience, that ACE teachers continue to use their community experience long after they graduate to build dynamic and life-giving communities of faith, hope, and love.

What does community life look like?

ACE teachers live in small communities of 4-7 members and together share the many challenges and rewards of beginning teaching. Each ACE community becomes a naturally supportive environment. ACE participants are called to grow together, to support one another, and to challenge each other as they develop personally, professionally, and spiritually.

How does the program help ACE teachers create successful communities?

Weekly evening sessions during the summer and periodic retreats throughout the year provide ACE teachers with skills for building successful communities. In addition to the support ACE teachers receive from one another, ACE’s pastoral administrators both support and challenge ACE teachers in their personal, communal, and spiritual lives during the summer session and through regular communication and site visits during the year.

What is housing like?

During the summer, ACE teachers will live in a dorm on Notre Dame’s campus with other ACE teachers.

During the school year, ACE communities live in affordable housing located by each diocese served. Available housing varies widely from diocese to diocese. Many ACE houses are former convents or rectories, others are rented from local parish members or benefactors, and others are apartments. Individuals contribute each month to pay for rent, utilities, internet, and food. Teaching stipends are determined based on the cost of living in each community to ensure that living costs are manageable.