The Alliance for Catholic Education

The Alliance for Catholic Education

Experience

Education/Professionalism

ACESJU Teaching and Administrative Fellows

  • Work for two years in elementary and secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Diocese of Camden (New Jersey).
  • Receive extensive coursework training as they work to complete a master’s degree.
  • Receive ongoing professional support from ACESJU staff.
  • Receive opportunities for professional development from their placement schools, university, and the diocese.
  • Contribute their gifts and talents to their school communities.

  • ACESJU Teaching Fellows are recent college graduates seeking teaching placements and certification in grades PK-12. Teaching Fellows pursue an M.S. in Education degree from Saint Joseph’s University with Level I Certification in Elementary (grades PreK-4), Middle Years (grades 4-8), or Secondary with a Content Area (grades 7-12).

    Some Teaching Fellows already possess a Level I certification and pursue an additional certification (i.e., Reading Specialist, Special Education) through the ACESJU program. These degrees and certification options require certain prerequisites. Applicants pursuing a Level I Certification in Secondary Education will need to have graduated with a degree in their desired teaching field (i.e. English, History, Biology, etc.) or have a satisfactory number of credits in a given teaching field. Certain exceptions may be made for comparable courses or degrees. Interested applicants can request that the ACESJU staff review their academic background to determine if prerequisites are met.

  • ACESJU Administrative Fellows are recent college graduates seeking administrative placements in Catholic elementary and secondary schools and affiliated organizations in the Philadelphia area. Administrative fellows will pursue an MS in Organization Development And Leadership, Master of Social Work (MSW), MA in Writing Studies or an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Saint Joseph's University.

    Administrative fellows are placed in a variety of positions designed to support the educational mission of the placement school or organization. Some examples are campus ministry, fundraising/development, admissions/enrollment, student affairs, guidance, and athletics.

    For more information about our next cohort, please see Applicant Information.

Community

ACESJU Fellows live together in an intentional community, work within a school community, and participate in larger parish and neighborhood communities. Fellows also form a community of scholars and practitioners as they work toward their degree and certification.

Program-provided housing allows for a spirit of community around shared experience, mission, and support. Fellows share in meals, prayers, and other activities.

The Integrative Seminar shares the spiritual vision of Saint Ignatius of Loyola that may then be activated and applied to one’s present experiences within the four pillars of the ACESJU Program. The Seminar provides creative and practical opportunities for discussion about the joys and challenges faced during the two-year program, especially in working toward the common good.

Community life encourages Fellows to examine their individual role in margins community and the role of their intentional community through discussions about communication, responsibility, respect, and fellowship.

Spirituality

The ACESJU program is inspired by the vision of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who established the world's first global educational system sustained for over four and a half centuries. ACESJU Fellows become Catholic educators who integrate their personal, communal, professional, and spiritual lives. They are encouraged to develop individual spirituality, connecting their particular faith tradition to faith-based education and intentional community.

Fellows participate in three annual retreats. Retreats allow the cohort fellows to take intentional time to reflect, re-energize, and find renewed purpose in their work and mission as Catholic school teachers and administrators.

Fellows also develop their spirituality through Spirituality Nights in their individual communities, along with in the Integrative Seminar, as they examine the intricate connections between education, community, spirituality and social justice/simple living. Fellows are encouraged to integrate spirituality into their community life and schools, and to use spirituality as a support to provide strength and nourishment.

Social Justice & Simple Living

The ACESJU Fellow is a person of faith and justice seeking to live in solidarity with others and his or her respective communities, especially those in under-resourced and under-served areas. A spirit of simple living is embraced which offers a deeper insight into social justice and the most vulnerable members of our cities.

Fellows are challenged to make responsible fiscal choices. By living modestly, members can begin to identify with the economic realities of the children, families, and neighborhoods they serve. Simple living promotes authentic fellowship, encouraging fellows to form meaningful bonds through conversation and shared intentional time with one another.