Cultivating Talent Report

Cultivating Talent:  A Summary of Findings from the National Study
Examining Pathways to Increase the Presence of Hispanic Teachers
and Leaders in Catholic Schools

With 29.1 million Hispanic Catholics in the United States (who represent 42% of the nearly 70 million Catholics in the nation), it is evident that the future of Catholicism and the Catholic schools that serve the Church will be significantly defined by Hispanics.

In response to the present need to ensure equitable access, representation, and educational outcomes for Hispanic students, families, and educators, our research team at Boston College, led by Dr. Hosffman Ospino of the School of Theology and Ministry and Dr. Melodie Wyttenbach of the Roche Center for Catholic Education, conducted a comprehensive study of Hispanic leaders and teachers in Catholic schools in the United States. Cultivating Talent: Hispanic Educators in Catholic Schools details the context, framework, process, findings, and results of this groundbreaking overview of an important sector of the Catholic education workforce. 

Cultivating Talent Summit — October 2-4, 2022

As stated in the release of the report in Winter 2022, we commit to launching, supporting, and joining conversations — local, regional and national — to explore the implications of its findings.

 

Our first major initiative is the National Summit on Hispanic Teachers and Leaders in Catholic Schools, hosted at Boston College on October 2-4, 2022.

 

This summit will bring together various stakeholders in the world of Catholic education to review and discuss the results and analysis of the national study. Together we will envision strategies to support Hispanic teachers and leaders, as well as the Catholic schools where these educators serve.

Summit Information

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Details

  • The Summit will begin with Mass at 4pm on Sunday, October 2 and conclude at 1pm on Tuesday, October 4. All Summit events will take place at Boston College.
  • The Summit will include a keynote by Amanda Fernandez of Latinos for Education and Fr. Mick McCarthy, Dean of the School of Theology and Ministry; presentations by report principal investigators, Drs. Hosffman Ospino and Melodie Wyttenbach; and sessions led by other members of the Boston College report team and partner scholars, practitioners, and leaders committed to supporting Hispanic teachers and leaders in US Catholic schools.
  • As the Summit is organized around the three pillars of Boston College and the Roche Center — intellectual, communal, and spiritual — there will be opportunities to engage holistically throughout the Summit events.
  • As a special community-building opportunity, we are offering 100 complementary tickets to the Boston Red Sox - Tampa Bay Rays baseball game at Fenway Park on Monday, August 3 at 7:10pm. Tickets will go to the first 100 registrants who are interested in attending the game.
  • View the Summit program and schedule for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact us at rochecenter@bc.edu. 

Costs

  • The cost to attend the Summit is $250, covering the cost of participation and meals.
  • Participants are to make their own lodging arrangements, these are not included in the registration cost.
  • Please complete the registration form to make your payment.

Lodging

We look forward to welcoming you to Boston College for the Summit!

Register

We look forward to having you join us for the October 2022 Cultivating Talent Summit!

Register for the Cultivating Talent Summit

As a special community-building opportunity, we are offering 100 complementary tickets to the Boston Red Sox - Tampa Bay Rays baseball game at Fenway Park on Monday, August 3 at 7:10pm. Tickets will go to the first 100 registrants who are interested in attending the game.

If you have any questions, please contact us at rochecenter@bc.edu.

Methodology

Over the course of a year, our research team compiled comprehensive survey data from a nationally representative sample of Hispanic Catholic school educators and conducted interviews and focus groups with teachers and leaders in all six regions of Catholic schools, as identified by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA).

Approach

Our research on Hispanic Catholic school educators in the United States focused on four frames of understanding:

the personal discernment shaping how Hispanics choose to enter into serving in Catholic schools

their experiences of discernment and support within Catholic schools

the pathways that lead Hispanics to serve within Catholic schools

how Hispanic educators use their unique positions within Catholic schools to serve the greater Church, the community, and the larger society

Findings

The report shares essential findings on the following:

Profiles of Hispanic Catholic school teachers and leaders, including their motivations, experiences serving within Catholic schools, and the development of their professional identity

Descriptive analysis of the pathways leading Hispanics into Catholic schools

An overview of the current landscape of support, formation, and ongoing discernment available to Hispanic Catholic educators

Bright spots and areas of growth for cultivating Hispanic talent in Catholic schools

9%

Approximately 9% of Catholic school educators are Hispanic while nearly
1 in 5 Catholic school students in the US are Hispanic

“While there are many cultural communities that are part of the US Catholic body, Hispanics constitute one of the largest groups, defining and redefining the Catholic experience in this country. The national research study grounding this report has allowed us to get a glimpse of what Hispanic teachers and leaders bring to Catholic schools, giving us hope.”
Cultivating Talent: Hispanic Educators in Catholic Schools (p. 47)
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