Warner School Institute Explores Catholic Education Themes

Two days of programming for teachers, administrators, and others involved in Catholic education will be offered July 9 and 10 by the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester. This year's workshops and speakers will concentrate on multiple approaches for nourishing spirituality and transformational change in individuals and schools.

Almeta Whitis, an ordained interfaith minister who for 30 years has used the arts and culture to reach audiences, will open the institute's first day as well as lead small group sessions. In her career as a performer, Whitis has toured extensively with Garth Fagan Dance in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies.

Sister Clare Fitzgerald, founder and former director of the Catholic School Leadership Program at Boston College, will be the keynote speaker for the second day of the institute. An international speaker on Catholic education, she also has served her Catholic religious community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame of the New England/New York Province, in a variety of leadership positions.

Now in its 12th year, the Institute on Catholic Education will tie this year's theme of "Cultivating a Garden of Hope" to ways of expanding understanding of the social changes impacting education, and to developing action steps to address these changes. Several recognized educational leaders will also offer small group sessions. All programs will be held in Wilson Commons on the University's River Campus.

Registration for the institute is $189 ($200 after June 25) and includes all materials, luncheons, and refreshments for the daylong programs. Group rates, housing options, and parking are available. To register or for more information, contact the Warner School's Office of Professional Development at (585) 275-8270 or (585) 275-7833.