placeholder1By Nick Vendikos, Director of Development
“The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.” – President John F. Kennedy
President Kennedy’s vision still rings true today.
As we celebrated Catholic Schools Week this past February, not only did we open doors at our academies and schools throughout Brooklyn and Queens, but we celebrated our students, faculties and administrations, as well as their accomplishments inside and outside the classroom.
Thanks to the leadership of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Tom Chadzutko, our schools are thriving throughout the Diocese.
In the early 1960s, President Kennedy challenged our nation to pursue the advancement of knowledge through our young people.
As we begin 2016, our Catholic school students in Brooklyn and Queens are still outperforming their benchmarks in the city’s public school system:
- 99% of students in Catholic secondary schools graduate within four years, compared to 61.3% for New York City public high schools
- 98% of students in Catholic secondary schools go on to college
- Only 31.4% of New York City high school graduates are college-ready
And, they are succeeding at a fraction of the budget it costs to educate a public school student. Per pupil spending averages $5,650 compared to $20,226 per pupil in New York City public schools, saving taxpayers over $860 million per year.
Our Catholic schools have embraced new and exciting programs of learning, including STEM, smart boards and other models all built through a foundation in a faith-based community with the ultimate truth that our Lord, Jesus Christ, is with us in our journey.
While Catholic Schools Week makes us proud of our accomplishments and excited about our strategic plan moving forward, it forces us to examine stark realities.
Thousands of children are stuck in a public school bureaucracy while they would rather be at a Catholic school or academy in our Diocese. What’s stopping them? Well, it isn’t room in the classrooms. Sadly, it is financial hardships.
We need you to help offset the cost, approximately $4,250 annually, to help families of at-risk kids to receive an opportunity at a Catholic school.
Giving is simple: Click HERE to make a gift or to become an Angel to a financially disadvantaged student. An Angel provides partial tuition assistance beginning at $1,500 per year to a student in need. Families remain responsible for the remainder, which is one of the unique aspects of the program: you are investing in those who are helping themselves. Every dollar you donate goes directly to a student’s tuition!
Interested in seeing the difference you can make in a child’s life firsthand? Join us for our annual Angels Reception on Thursday, April 7th at 6pm. Contact Lauren McCormack at 718-965-7308 ext. 1628 or Lmccormack@cfbq.org and mention this column to find out more information.
It has been over 50 years since President Kennedy’s words on education, but never have they rung more true. Join Futures in providing future opportunities to the best and brightest our society has to offer: our young people. They will receive a terrific education and I promise that your sense of fulfillment is worth gold in your soul.
P.S. For more information on making a gift that won’t cost you a penny during your lifetime, please contact me at 718-965-7308 ext. 1624 or at nvendikos@cfbq.org.