*CVS announces donation of $150,000 to support program providing teachers to urban and rural Catholic Diocesan schools throughout New England
*University of Notre Dame’s Executive Vice President and ACE Program founder to address graduates, families and Diocesan officials

Providence, RI - The first graduates of Providence College's Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers (PACT) will be recognized at an awards dinner on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 at 7 p.m. in Slavin Center '64 Hall on the College campus. Recent PACT graduates and their families, current PACT teachers, and Diocesan officials from Providence, and Worcester and Fall River, MA are expected to attend the event at which officials from the CVS Charitable Trust will announce a gift of $150,000 to support primary operations of the PACT program.

The featured speaker for the event will be Rev. Timothy Scully, CSC, executive vice president at the University of Notre Dame and a founder of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), the original model for the PACT program. A highly successful post-graduate service-teaching program, ACE is the nation's largest teaching through service program. ACE was founded in 1994 and annually enrolls 160 graduates who serve in schools in 13 states and 25 dioceses.

In 1999, spurred by grants from the U.S. Department of Education and two private foundations, Notre Dame expanded the concept by inviting more than 60 faith-based colleges and universities to apply as partnering institutions. Based on a competitive application process, in which eight higher education institutions were then selected to establish similar programs nationwide, Providence College was chosen to develop a program for the six-state New England region.  

 Liberal arts majors in the PACT program pursue a master's degree leading to initial certification in secondary education in a specific content area (i.e. math, science, etc.). Education majors already eligible for a teaching license pursue master's degree courses leading to certification in special education or a middle level educator certificate of endorsement.

 For two summers, students live at and attend full-time classes at Providence College, where the graduate degree tuition and room and board fees are waived by the college. Participants also attend retreats developed by the Providence College chaplain's office to enhance the social and spiritual skills needed to live in community and strengthen their commitment to Catholic social teaching. During the two academic years they are teaching in Diocesan schools, participants receive a modest monthly salary and medical insurance, and live in small faith communities with fellow PACT teachers. Each new teacher is supervised by an experienced teacher-mentor at the school.

 PACT currently has agreements with dioceses in Providence, Rhode Island and in Worcester and Fall River, Massachusetts.  The program has received high acclaim from church leaders and educators who see the PACT program as an essential tool for recruiting young teachers who will remain committed to the principles of Catholic education.
 To date, one third of the first 14 PACT graduates have accepted teaching positions; three elected to remain in the Diocesan schools where they have been teaching for the last two years; one will teach in Thailand, the other in a New York public school. Several others are considering offers.

A total of 34 graduate students are currently enrolled in the PACT program. This fall, they will be teaching at 21Catholic high schools in three New England dioceses.

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