This 10-month executive coaching program supports Catholic school leaders who are in the process of renewing their schools. The participants in the cohort benefit from the personal mentorship of two veteran Catholic educators with over five decades of combined experience with the Church’s vision of liberal arts education. Since a significant benefit of the program is the experience and commitment of the cohort itself, participants in the School Leaders Academy are selected through an application process.
CONTENT:
The course focuses on ICLE’s Five Pillars of School Leadership:
1. Mission and Vision
2. Pedagogy
3. Curriculum
4. Environment
5. Management
SCHEDULE:
The program begins with a mandatory online orientation retreat in August. Subsequent meetings take place on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, 60-90 minutes each. Participants also receive a monthly half-hour, one-on-one coaching call with a program leader.
Members of the cohort may also be invited to an optional, special School Leaders Forum to be held in Spring 2026, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (Denver, CO) to see the Catholic liberal education approach in action at a flagship ICLE Premier Member School. While registration for this event is included in your School Leaders Academy program cost, travel and lodging for the Forum are not included.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Cohorts are determined on an application basis. Preference is given to those who display a sincere desire to learn and grow, and whose experience will contribute to the collective wisdom of the cohort. Regular attendance, active participation, and the completion of homework assignments are necessary for the full benefit of leadership formation; participants must be able to commit time and effort to the program. Rolling admission.
COST FOR 2025-2026 PROGRAM:
$4,950*
*Travel and lodging for visit to flagship member school not included.
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
Two payment options are offered.
1. Program cost paid in full by August 1st
2. 10-month automatic, online payment plan ($495/month) begun in August and concluded in May of the following year
We are happy to assist accepted applicants in requesting funding from benefactors, school administration, or dioceses by providing sponsorship letters, informational materials about the program, and a sample letter.
TITLE FUNDING:
Title funds (federal monies administered by your Local Educational Agency) may be available to help offset participant costs related to this program. Past participants in this program have successfully secured partial title funding. Please review some helpful information here.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CLERGY AND VOWED RELIGIOUS:
A limited number of partial, needs-based scholarships are reserved specifically for clergy and vowed religious interested in participating in this program. If you are a member of the clergy or a vowed religious interested in applying for a scholarship, please complete this scholarship request form.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION:
Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) are granted for participation in ICLE workshops, programs, and events. You may request a certificate of completion for a previous event HERE
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Due to hard costs incurred in contracts and planning, we provide a cancellation policy that aims to be respectful of your ministry in Catholic education, but also justly considerate of the fiscal responsibilities of our own ministry:
For all ICLE programs, with the exception of the National Conference, cancellations received at least 60 days in advance of the event will be honored with a full refund. Cancellations received at least 45 days in advance will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations received less than 45 days in advance will receive no refund.
For the National Conference, cancellations received at least 90 days in advance of the event will be honored with a full refund. Cancellations received at least 45 days in advance will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations received less than 45 days in advance will receive no refund.
Please allow up to 30 days for a refund to be processed.
QUESTIONS:
For any questions, please contact Rosemary Vander Weele, Program Leader, at rvanderweele@CatholicLiberalEducation.org.
MEET YOUR MENTORS:
Rosemary Vander Weele – Program Leader and Principal Trainer for Monthly Sessions
Rosemary was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She earned an undergraduate degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville and graduate degrees in Catholic Leadership from the Augustine Institute and Education Administration from Regis University. In 2011, after teaching middle school English and history for seven years, Rosemary was appointed principal of Our Lady of Lourdes, which at the time had less than 100 students and was identified for closure the following year. At the encouragement of then-Auxiliary Bishop James Conley, she led the school through a renewal in the Catholic liberal arts that resulted in a return to maximum enrollment within seven years and the addition of a second campus in the fall of 2018. Rosemary now serves as President of Our Lady of Lourdes, overseeing the continued development of both campuses, and as Faculty for ICLE.
Michael J. Van Hecke, M.Ed. – High School Leader Mentor and Contributing Commentator in Monthly Sessions
Michael is the President and Founder of The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. He has been a Catholic educator for 30 years, most recently serving as Headmaster of St. Augustine Academy in Ventura for 20 years. He received a B.A. in classical Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College and an M.Ed. in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas. He is President and Publisher of the Catholic Textbook Project, a company producing the first history textbooks specifically for Catholic Schools in nearly 50 years. As a consultant and speaker, Michael loves to share his passion for Catholic liberal education across the country. When not doing that, he enjoys life with his wife doting on grandchildren and tending on their avocado ranch in bucolic Santa Paula, California.