Segura Educational Initiative for Children
Iniciativa Educativa Segura para Niņos
HISTORY
The Segura Initiative for Children began in the summer of 2010 as an
initiative of Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo, the Diocesan Office of
Catholic Education, area priests, and members of the Latino
community. Focus groups were held with parishioners from churches
of the diocese with large Hispanic populations to determine if there
was interest among recent immigrants in sending their children to
Catholic schools. The answer was overwhelmingly, Yes!
Those present cited their desire to send their children to Catholic
schools of the Diocese of Richmond, where 99 percent of students
graduate and attend college, and standardized test scores are in the
top ten percent in the nation. They also spoke of their desire for
religious schools where faith could be nurtured and customs
preserved. Latino families also shared that although Catholic
schools could provide numerous advantages, they were financially out
of reach for most recent immigrants.
From these meetings, The Segura Initiative was created, with the
mission of providing tuition assistance and welcoming schools for
recent Hispanic immigrants who desire a Catholic education for their
children.
The Segura Initiative wishes to acknowledge the ideas and
contributions of the first Steering Committee that gave rise to this
wonderful mission and its first Chair, Maria Garcia Lara. Members
include:
Fr. Shay Auerbach
Fr. Wayne Ball
Samuel Chavez
Ricky de Jesus
Maria Frangenburg
Maria Garcia-Lara
Linda Hernandez-Giblin
Chad Hornick
Mary Ellen Hrutka
Mario Ilbarra
Michael Kelleher
Tito Luna
Paulita Matheny
J. Franciso Ovalle
Annette Parsons
Terri Quinan
Stephen Reardon
Fidel Rubio
Monsignor Michael Schmied
Vilma Seymore
Lisa Zajur
Michael Zajur
|
