ALMA

Two centuries ago, Catholic schools were founded in the United States to serve immigrant and other communities on the margin in a Gospel-centered environment that honored the inherent dignity, gifts, and culture of each child, family, and community. Thus, educating children and nurturing the fullness of who they are has always been the soul—or, in Spanish, alma—of Catholic schools. 

These schools have long stood as sacred spaces of hope for families and communities. At the same time, the Catholic Church in America is facing a demographic imperative that cannot be ignored, and our schools are begging to be transformed and reanimated by the beautiful and growing diversity of the universal Church. 

For more than a decade, the Alliance for Catholic Education's Catholic School Advantage and English as a New Language programs have worked side by side, helping Catholic schools both recruit, enroll, and serve Latino families, as well as form educators to ensure that culturally and linguistically diverse children thrive in Catholic schools. 

We are excited to announce the formal partnership of these two programs under the newly established ALMA Initiative: Advancing Latino and Multilingual Learner Achievement through Catholic Education. We believe linguistically and culturally diverse students deserve to benefit fully from the legacy of Catholic education, which is uniquely positioned to serve their academic and cultural needs.