We are proud to announce that Our Lady of Lourdes was chosen to be a member of the 12th cohort of Latino Enrollment Institute at the University of Notre Dame. The Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI) is a year-long formation program providing Catholic schools with marketing strategies and school culture interventions to better attract and serve Latino families in their local community. The LEI was created in response to national data suggesting Latinos are both the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. Catholic Church and the most underserved by Catholic schools, the University of Notre Dame’s Catholic School Advantage program founded the Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI) in 2012.
The LEI was predicated on the idea that the principal is the single most important lever for change in a school, whether it be in establishing an environment that is culturally responsive to Latino families, implementing strategic marketing and recruitment efforts to boost Latino enrollment, or simply assembling the right team capable of carrying out these efforts. This initiative identifies and assists Catholic schools with substantial unmet capacity (open seats), favorable demographic potential—namely, a growing number of Latino families in the surrounding area—and motivated principals by offering a framework to transform schools in order to attract and serve Latino families.
In this prestigious program, in addition to the summer program, Lourdes is placed on a small team of six or seven other principals in a cohort model and meet monthly via Zoom over the course of the year. Principal teams, facilitated by a member of the LEI leadership team, will work through a series of modules made available online each month. These modules are an opportunity to dive deeper into many of the topics and ideas presented at the summer conference, as well as to discuss any challenges, successes, and best practices with other principals engaged in the same mission.
Lourdes is an integral part of the 12th LEI cohort, which includes 38 schools nationwide, coming from 26 (arch)dioceses across the country. Dr. Jocelyn Smith, the coordinator of the LEI, is thrilled to be welcoming this 12th cohort of incredible school leaders. “LEI is a beautiful opportunity to embrace Latino students that enrich our Catholic schools with vibrant cultures, diverse perspectives and a shared commitment to our Catholic faith.”
