Brother Robert Smith, O.F.M., Cap., director of educational and formational services for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and president of Messmer High School, will be the principal speaker Saturday (July 10) at the ninth annual graduation ceremony for teachers in the University of Notre Dames Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program.p. Mariana Aylwin, former minister of education of Chile, will receive the 2004 Notre Dame Award in Catholic Education during the ceremony, which will be held at 2 p.m. in the Jordan Auditorium of the Mendoza College of Business.p. A member of the Order of Friars Minor-Capuchin, Brother Smith was appointed president of Messmer High School in 1997 after serving as its principal for 10 years. During his tenure, Messmer has become a model for inner-city Catholic schools nationwide and he has become a national advocate for Catholic education in impoverished communities.p. In addition to her tenure as education minister, Aylwin has performed numerous services for Catholic education in Chile, as a secondary schoolteacher, university professor, member of congress, and an advocate for the Catholic education of her countrys poor.p. Founded in 1994 by Rev. Timothy R. Scully, C.S.C., and Rev. Sean McGraw, C.S.C., the ACE program provides college graduates an opportunity to earn master of education degrees while serving as teachers in understaffed Catholic schools nationwide. In exchange for a modest stipend and a tuition-free graduate program, ACE participants make a two-year commitment to teach in these schools.p. More than 80 recent college graduates from a wide variety of educational disciplines enter ACE each year. They take courses and participate in teacher training projects at Notre Dame during their two summers in the program before being assigned to full-time teaching positions at schools in some 30 cities in 14 states during the school year. After two years, the students graduate with a master of education degree and 75 percent elect to stay in the teaching profession.p. _Contact: John Schoenig, associate director of ACE, at 574-631-3431 or Schoenig.1@nd.edu _
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