The event will be held in the OLPH parish hall, 45-299 Deglet Noor, Indio, CA, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. It will be the second college prep evening spearheaded by DEI. Last January, in partnership with Cal State, San Bernardino, a workshop was offered for parents and high school students at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral Parish Hall. The information provided was well received and DEI has been looking for an opportunity to hold a workshop in another part of the diocese.
“Preparing for college can be complicated and arduous with lots of questions for parents,” said DEI Co-Chair Sister Carmel Crimmins, RSM. “What classes are required to get in? Are there citizenship concerns? How do we pay for it?”
One message of the workshop is that families must begin preparing before the student’s last years of high school, said Sr. Carmel, who spent many years of ministry as a Catholic school teacher and administrator. Junior high students and their parents are encouraged to attend the workshop.
“We want to help families get more familiar with the process so that they do not see it as insurmountable,” she said. “But they’ve got to get started early.”
DEI started as a collaboration between the diocese and the San Bernardino County Office of Education. Following a meeting with Dr. Gary Thomas, Superintendent of San Bernardino County Schools, Bishop Gerald Barnes invited Deacon Peter Bond and Sr. Carmel to lead a committee that would guide diocesan ministry in the broad area of education.
Knowing the essential role parents play in the academic success of students, DEI took a first step of offering a parenting course, “The 12 Powers of Family Business,” throughout the diocese via distance learning technology. Thanks to Chico Garza, a special assistant to Dr. Thomas who designed and teaches the program, the course has helped many families stabilize life at home leading to greater success at school. The next session of the course will be offered in Spanish beginning January 17th (please see the Spanish language section of this issue for details).
DEI is also working with Ameritas College, which offers bilingual associate and bachelor’s degree programs with flexible evening course schedules. All course materials are available in English and Spanish. Financial aid is available to those who qualify. The college staff has been encouraged by the interest shown through diocesan efforts.