It may be June, but there’s no summer break for the innovative new programs Catholic schools are using to recruit and retain students and teachers. With nationally-recognized professional development programs and a focus on recruiting underserved communities, the Office for Catholic Schools is hard at work this summer.

Welcome to The Fulcrum Point, brought to you by the Fulcrum Foundation! In this episode, we’re talking about the marketing efforts going on behind the scenes that have fueled steady growth of Western Washington’s 74 Catholic schools over the past four years.

In this episode, host Brian Callanan talks with Kristin Moore, Director of Marketing for the Office for Catholic Schools within the Archdiocese of Seattle. The discussion covers a wide range of topics, from how Catholic schools are employing new programs like ALMA (Advancing Latino Multilingual Achievement) to reach out to a quickly-growing Latino and Hispanic population to INSPIRE, a nationally-recognized conference for Catholic school leaders and staff that’s drawing participants from around the country.

Learn more about Fulcrum’s work to support Catholic education at this link.

Catholic schools in Western Washington are rooted in a tradition of quality education. But the 74 schools in the Seattle Archdiocese are also home to some innovative breakthroughs when it comes to helping kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities, restoring student health with a 4-day school week schedule, and providing invaluable experience for students before they enter the workforce.

Welcome to The Fulcrum Point, brought to you by the Fulcrum Foundation! In this episode, we’re talking about innovation in the Catholic schools of the Seattle Archdiocese, from east King County all the way down to Vancouver, Washington.

Host Brian Callanan visits Eastside Catholic School in Sammamish, Washington to talk with Michele Barton, director of the Options Program, an inclusive, integrated approach to helping students with special education needs. The podcast also features Seton Catholic College Prep president and principal Robert Rusk, who launched a modified 4-day school week schedule this year that's gaining national attention. Plus, you'll hear what's happening at the newest high school in the Archdiocese, Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle High School, where president Paul Hogan has started a Corporate Work Study program that allows students to earn a portion of their education cost while gaining real-world work experience.

Learn more about Fulcrum’s work to support Catholic education at this link.

More and more families are enrolling in Catholic schools in Western Washington. But as the cost of living in our region rises, the ability to afford quality Catholic education has become a growing challenge. That’s where the Fulcrum Foundation is stepping in, providing more than $80 million in tuition assistance since 2002.

Welcome to The Fulcrum Point, brought to you by the Fulcrum Foundation! In this episode, we’re discussing supporting students—the core mission of Fulcrum. Thanks to continued support from its donors, Fulcrum is now able to help 70% of elementary school families requesting financial aid.

In this episode, recorded on the campus of Seattle Preparatory School, host Brian Callanan speaks with Susan Ocoma, Programs Director for the Fulcrum Foundation, to help break down the myths that a Catholic education is not accessible or affordable. Also on this podcast, you’ll hear from Seattle Prep admissions director Ann Alokalaro about her personal experience receiving aid as a student and how that’s inspiring her work today. Finally, you’ll meet Seattle Prep senior Bruk Worku, who immigrated to this country from Ethiopia. With substantial tuition help from Fulcrum and Seattle Prep, she’s about to be the first child in her family to go to college with a full-ride scholarship to Notre Dame.

Learn more about Fulcrum’s investments in tuition assistance at this link.

Strong principals and inspiring classroom teachers are critical to the success of every school and every student. With nearly 50% of all teachers leaving the profession within the first five years, an investment in educators is needed now more than ever. Dedicated to transformational leadership, the Fulcrum Foundation funds a suite of programs to provide professional development and supports to leaders at all levels.

Welcome to The Fulcrum Point, brought to you by the Fulcrum Foundation! In this episode, learn more about how Fulcrum is building leadership capacity—the “bench strength” of local Catholic schools—and ensuring the continued success and growth of Catholic education throughout Western Washington.

Host Brian Callanan speaks with Vivian Shannon, Executive Director of the Fulcrum Foundation, about the critical need for Fulcrum’s investments in leadership. You’ll also hear from Kelly Surapaneni, Coordinator of Leadership Development with the Office for Catholic Schools, who took a system with only two leadership programs and expanded it to 30 with support from the Fulcrum Foundation. Also, principal Lauren Hobbs of Our Lady of Guadalupe School speaks about her experience in leadership programs funded by Fulcrum and how they’ve impacted her career, her students, and her community.

Learn more about Fulcrum’s investments in building leadership capacity at this link.

In Western Washington, access to quality early learning programs has a major impact on student achievement, family stability, and even the economic health of our region. Catholic educators are leading the charge to improve access to early childhood education as the need for this service continues to grow.

Welcome to The Fulcrum Point, brought to you by the Fulcrum Foundation! In this episode, we'll break down how a major gift to Fulcrum gave new life to early learning programs in the Archdiocese, and how those programs are continuing to grow and serve 3-4 year olds, toddlers, and even infants.

Host Brian Callanan speaks with Dave Mayer, Director of the Early Childhood Education Program for the Archdiocese of Seattle, about how Fulcrum is helping expand early childhood education programs, with an eye towards building standalone regional early learning centers in the future. You'll also hear from Dick Abrams, whose gift (with his late wife Sharon) launched a new era of early childhood education in Western Washington, and Martha DeSapio, preschool director at St. Luke's in Shoreline, who offers a provider's and parent's view of what makes an early learning program successful.

Learn more about Fulcrum's work with early childhood education at this link.

In notoriously secular Western Washington, why is Catholic education experiencing such impressive growth? The answers might surprise you.

Welcome to The Fulcrum Point, brought to you by the Fulcrum Foundation! In our first episode, we'll explain what the Fulcrum Foundation is all about: leveraging support for Catholic education to bring positive, innovative change to our communities.

Host Brian Callanan speaks with Amy Hall, Senior Advancement Director of the Fulcrum Foundation, to talk about the critical role Fulcrum is playing to help drive substantial growth of Catholic education in Western Washington. You'll also hear from Nicholas Ford, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in Western Washington - one of the largest school districts in the region - about some innovative programs supported by Fulcrum in our increasingly diverse Catholic schools and their impact on our communities.