Catholic Partnership Schools

Established in 2008, the Partnership represents a new and dynamic model of Catholic urban education. There are 5 K-8 schools located in the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods that educate, cultivate, and inspire over 1,000 young students. Our schools are organized around a clear mission to strengthen and sustain the inner city Catholic schools of Camden, NJ. The dynamics of Catholic education have changed dramatically in recent years. Parish schools that once flourished are now reeling from decreased enrollment and the loss of religious professionals who served as teachers and administrators. The impact of these changes is most profound in cities. In Camden, particularly, the number of Catholic schools educating schoolchildren has decreased by half in just a few years. However, the schools that remain are essential anchors in these neighborhoods. We cannot afford to lose them. The Catholic Partnership Schools initiative is based on extensive research and analysis about how to best retain the strengths and practices that make a Catholic education the beacon of hope that it is. Our work builds on the outstanding academic performance history of students graduating from Camden’s Catholic elementary schools. Additionally, this initiative is the direct outgrowth of the Catholic School Development Program’s consulting with the Diocese of Camden on how best to revitalize all of its schools.