Ignite our Future, our strategic plan first conceived of in 2022, builds on Catholic Central’s successful past and will ensure that generations of future students will be formed to be servant leaders who live a Christ-centered life. As we enter year three of the plan, we have many year one and two accomplishments to celebrate and exciting new programming to look forward to as we continue to work to be the best at getting better!
The challenge before us as Catholic Central leadership is to take a very successful, yet traditional, model of education and capitalize upon 21st-century practices that will allow students to be prepared for the evolving nature of college and the workforce. Heeding the same call that St. Catherine directed to Catholics in the 14th century (“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."), we need to provide students with the skills and tools called for in a more diverse, ever-changing world. We must do this by looking at current educational research and best practice through the lens of our Catholic mission and identity.
The plan focuses on four impact areas: allowing students to experience daily encounters with Christ, increasing access to a Catholic Central education, ensuring excellence in mission delivery, and fostering innovation and discovery.
A number of new programs have been developed as a result of our plan, including the AMDG Inclusion program, which provides students who traditionally have not been served by Catholic Central the opportunity to experience CC, Career Connections, which connects current students to alumni, parents and community members for job mentorship, preparation and internship opportunities, and Kairos, a new retreat program for seniors which invites them into a deeper relationship with Christ.
Future programming includes our exciting new Variable Tuition model, making CC even more affordable to our families, continuing to develop student leadership through our House System, athletic programs, and retreats, and providing innovative professional development to our faculty and staff to allow them to become even more effective at teaching our students.
Each young man and woman we serve possesses unique gifts and passions. Our responsibility is to help them identify, challenge them to develop, and show them how to use these gifts to become “men and women for others.” Through our new Strategic Plan, we are finding even greater success in serving our mission and inspiring the next generation of faith-filled, servant leaders.
