Fall River Diocese to hold “meet the partners” event for its new Academy

The Diocese of Fall River is introducing current and future students and their families to the new Academy’s initial academic and foundation partners. Opening in Fall 2019, the Academy will offer a curriculum that fosters critical and analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The May 21 evening event at Stonehill College will include the initial partners providing critical support to ensure the success of the Academy: the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Stonehill College, and Regis College. In addition, the Academy is partnering with two foundations: The Carney Family Charitable Foundation and The S.E.A.L. Foundation, which provides specialized education for all learners.

The Academy, first announced in February, will initially serve Coyle and Cassidy School in Taunton and Bishop Connolly in Fall River in their home locations, said Superintendent Steve Perla. The Stonehill College event is aimed at informing parents of the benefits the Academy will provide to students in the two initial affiliate schools -Coyle and Cassidy, middle and high schools, and Bishop Connolly.

“As the Academy’s success builds, best practices and partnerships will be expanded to benefit the Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Fall River,” he said.

Partnerships with higher education, foundations, and corporations will help the Academy enrich its offerings in advanced science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) opportunities.

The innovative and effective instructional practices of the Academy will help prepare students to meet the educational and workforce needs of the 21st Century in an intentionally Christ-centered atmosphere. It will offer support for faculty members to shift their instruction from traditional approaches to ones that emphasize personalized learning and project-based instruction across the curriculum, Perla said.

The roles of the initial academic partners include:

• The University of Notre Dame’s STEM Center — helping to develop a long-term strategic vision and strategic plan
• Boston College’s Lynch Leadership Academy — coaching the Academy principal and other school leaders to help realize the Academy’s instructional goals
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s STEM Education Center — providing hands-on, applied STEM professional development to the affiliate schools’ faculty
• Stonehill College — offering students STEM-related college level courses that carry college credits
• Regis College — offering students STEM-related college level courses that will also carry college credits. Depending on a student’s track, they may opt for the College’s 3-year college program utilizing their high school junior and senior years as the first year of college

The foundations will play the following roles:

• Carney Family Charitable Foundation — funding the development of the Academy’s new instructional practice
• The S.E.A.L. Foundation — funding a Director of Special Education for the Academy to ensure that students who learn differently receive the appropriate support to succeed

Event Location:

Stonehill College McCarthy Auditorium 
May School of Arts and Sciences
320 Washington St., Easton, MA

RSVP’s encouraged via email by Friday, May 17:

RSVP to Bishop Connolly: Karen Pragana  |  kpragana@bchs.dfrcs.org

RSVP to Coyle and Cassidy: Jack O’Brien  |   jobrien@cc.dfrcs.org