Alliance for Catholic Education
Adelante Conference
Registration for the 2024 Adelante Summer Conference is now open!
The theme for the 2024 Adelante Summer Conference is Latino Family and Community Engagement. Join us June 24 - 26, 2024, as we explore engaging and practical ways to empower Latino families in Catholic schools.
Conference Overview
Adelante builds on the success of the Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI), which for 11 years has been an exceptionally effective engine of Latino enrollment growth in Catholic schools around the country. While the LEI’s explicit focus on school-level change necessitates the commitment of school teams, including year-long leadership formation for principals, Adelante offers an alternative, which is open to a variety of constituents.
Adelante is now in its fifth year, and this summer, we are focusing on powerful ways to engage and empower Latino families and communities in Catholic schools. Join us for the two-and-a-half-day conference on the beautiful campus of University of Notre Dame as we explore creative ways to invite Latino families into our Catholic schools, imagine new ways of fostering community, and ultimately illuminate the gifts that Latino families bring to our schools.
Spots are limited, so register today! Visit the conference cost and registration page to see details about cost and lodging. We encourage participation of superintendents and diocesan leadership, principals, PK-12 grade classroom teachers, instructional coaches, dual language educators and advocates, resource teachers, and anyone else who is engaged in this mission to advance educational opportunities for Latino children. We also encourage school teams to attend!
Conference Framing
We recognize that there are many actors working to advance educational opportunities for Latinos in the United States. Therefore, the Adelante Summer Conference features a broad range of topics and speakers that address the variety of ways in which Catholic schools and parishes can work creatively together to embrace, educate, and empower Latino families through the vital ministry of Catholic education.
This two-and-a-half day conference helps build awareness around topics pertaining to Latinos in Catholic schools while expanding the network of advocates for this mission. Adelante embodies the overarching mission of the Catholic School Advantage (CSA) — to promote the unique value of Catholic schools to Latino families, and to help schools and parishes respond effectively to the unique needs of Latino families. In doing so, the conference topics address the three core goals of the CSA: to embrace the universality of the Church through an increase in Latino enrollment, to educate culturally and linguistically diverse children through excellent academic formation, and to empower all families through the celebration of faith, language, and culture.
While Adelante remains rooted in these three core goals, each year spotlights a unique topic related to this work. Past themes include: a deep dive into the demographic imperative impacting Catholic schools; the challenges that immigration poses for children, families, and schools; growing Latino enrollment: marketing, recruitment, and admissions done well; and propelling multilingual learners toward success: teaching content and language in every subject area.
The theme for the summer 2024 Adelante Summer Conference is Latino Family and Community Engagement. Join us on June 24 - 26, 2024 as we explore engaging and practical ways to empower Latino families in Catholic schools.
We are excited to be collaborating with Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies, whose work in advancing the understanding of the fastest-growing and youngest population in the U.S. will enhance this conversation greatly. ILS stands at the center of research that asks the fundamental question: Aside from simply bringing the large number of Latino Catholics in, how can we foster the many gifts that they bring being put at the service of the Church and the service of our country?
We firmly believe that Catholic schools are one of the most powerful institutions for human formation and societal transformation, whose impact is especially pronounced amongst the growing number of Latino youth. Join us this coming summer to learn more about how we can all work together to put Latino children and our nation on the path to a bright future.
¡Adelante!
For any questions, please contact Dr. Jocelyn Smith (jsmith89@nd.edu).
Testimonials
"I learned so much about understanding the changing demographics in our nation. We are seeing this in our own school but have not done well to react or build a culture to enhance our enrollment. We have much work to do, but we have a path and direction coming out of this gathering. I learned a ton and I really enjoyed the time we had together!"
"Phenomenal program - I am so glad that I attended! It was very moving and inspiring (and eye-opening!) Gracias por todo su trabajo y preparaciones!"
"I was energized and moved by the conference and looking forward to taking the information and inspiration into my own work and the efforts in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. I hope to have opportunities to share these experiences, through myself and directly, with many others. Thank you!"
For any questions, please contact Dr. Jocelyn Smith (jsmith89@nd.edu) or visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.