Magis
Magis
The Magis program will no longer be accepting applications. The program will discontinue operating after our final member graduates in the spring of 2026.
The program was formed as an experiment to see if a model, similar to the LU CHOICE program, could yield the same, desired results. The program was designed to train future lay leaders for long term service to and in the Catholic Church. A defining measure of success would be to try and achieve 85% of alumni, serving for 10-15+ years in Catholic agencies.
To better understand this decision, some history is needed.
The LU CHOICE ( Loyola University Chicago Opportunities in Catholic Education) Program was started in 2003 to expand faith, justice and learning to advance the vital ministry of Catholic Education. Catholic schools in the area approached Loyola seeking well trained teachers for Catholic Schools. These schools asked Loyola to help train teachers that could then teach in the city’s Catholic schools. These schools came to the table with funding to help start a program and also a commitment to hire, with salary and benefits, any program participants.
Its primary goal was to train future lay leaders for the Catholic church, via service in Catholic Schools. A defining measure of success would be to try and achieve 85% of alumni, serving for 10-15+ years in Catholic schools.
Since its inception, LU CHOICE has worked in over forty schools, taught over 10,000 students and 117 teachers have graduated from our program. The majority of our graduates have remained in education with most of those in Catholic Education.
The original program had 22 participants. In 2005 it was decided to reduce the number of participants to 12, using the other 10 mission scholarships for the Magis program.
The Magis program, would be an experiment, to see if a model similar to LU CHOICE, could yield the same results, with Social work and pastoral students. Unfortunately, there were no partner agencies requesting social workers or pastoral students and no commitment to hire such students. However, Loyola was interested in seeing if this model could be replicated in other areas.
Over the years the LU CHOICE program has worked to reflect the justice, equity and antiracism values espoused by the University. One of the elements of the LU CHOICE program was community living. This limited the program to young, single persons. Many of our partner schools had excellent, dedicated teachers in need of certification that were not available to live in the community, thus eliminating their opportunity to join the LU CHOICE program. In addition, the model was to send students to schools that were serving a minority population. This model created an experience for the participant but not a long term experience for the school.
In 2021, we eliminated the community-living requirement and focused our recruiting on keeping current teachers in schools: keeping people from the neighborhood in the neighborhood.. Looking for current, dedicated, Catholic school teachers needing teacher certification to ensure longevity in their Catholic school.
In the first year of this model our applications tripled, speaking to the need in our city. Our participants are current teachers in Catholic schools located on the west and south sides of Chicago. Since they are already dedicated to their schools, our program is helping them to develop as well rounded professionals interested in a long term career at their school.
Since this change, 100% of our members have stayed in Catholic Schools, with 70% of our current alumni, in Catholic Schools.
The Magis program, following the model of JVC - community living and working for a stipend - has not translated to something that is sustainable over time. Limiting the experience to only persons that were former participants in JVC seemed to limit the scope and reach of membership. It also did not seem to fit with Loyola’s commitment to equity and diversity. In addition, persons not available for community living would not be eligible for the experience.
Participants worked for a stipend in Catholic agencies in Chicago. Over time, the stipend was not a livable wage for participants, so the program attempted to find Catholic Agencies willing to pay at least minimum wage for our interns. We have not been able to find partners that are willing to pay salary/benefits for the formation of interns, as there are many schools of social work in Chicago offering interns for free to agencies. Having partners willing to hire and help form our students is an essential component of a successful program.
While we made community living an option, the opportunity has broadened to include others formerly not eligible for the program.
In reflecting on the mission of preparing leaders for the Catholic Church, of the over 79 graduates of the Magis program, only 5% are working in Catholic agencies. Not having Catholic partners willing to step up and provide opportunities for our members further limits the mission being accomplished. In addition, persons attracted to the Magis program have not expressed a desire for long term service/employment in Catholic agencies.
While the Magis program has definitely formed well rounded, professional social workers and pastoral students, it has not achieved its goal of training future lay leaders, for the Catholic Church, through long term employment/service in Catholic Agencies.
Our country and city are suffering from a massive teacher shortage. Our Catholic schools unfortunately are Not only not immune but actually feeling the shortage more, as teachers are lured to moderately higher paying positions in public education.. Expanding LU CHOICE from 12 to 22 would allow the program to continue to help meet the need for the Catholic schools in Chicago in need of dedicated, certified teachers.
This would be in alignment with the Jesuit apostolic preference of journeying with youth. In addition, keeping with Loyola’s commitment to education and a preference of working with and expanding the reach of the School of Education.
We currently have a program that is serving the Catholic church through our Catholic schools. We have a need for certified Catholic school teachers, and have an abundance of interest and partners in the city. Following our Jesuit tradition of going where there is the greatest need, it is time to sunset the Magis program and allocate those resources for the expansion of the LU CHOICE program. This in no way diminishes Loyola’s mission or commitment to the Catholic Church. It would serve to strengthen the university's commitment to Catholic education.
The Magis experiment, while not producing the desired result, has helped to form excellent, well rounded, professional social workers and pastoral students. The program has helped to create lifelong friendships and relationships among its members. That legacy of community, spirituality , social justice, sustainable living and racial justice will live on in its alumni.
Thank you to Loyola for being willing to try such an experiment and to continue to support the LU CHOICE program which is meeting the vital need for Catholic Educators.
The Magis program will no longer be accepting applications. The program will discontinue operating after our final member graduates in the spring of 2026.
The program was formed as an experiment to see if a model, similar to the LU CHOICE program, could yield the same, desired results. The program was designed to train future lay leaders for long term service to and in the Catholic Church. A defining measure of success would be to try and achieve 85% of alumni, serving for 10-15+ years in Catholic agencies.
To better understand this decision, some history is needed.
The LU CHOICE ( Loyola University Chicago Opportunities in Catholic Education) Program was started in 2003 to expand faith, justice and learning to advance the vital ministry of Catholic Education. Catholic schools in the area approached Loyola seeking well trained teachers for Catholic Schools. These schools asked Loyola to help train teachers that could then teach in the city’s Catholic schools. These schools came to the table with funding to help start a program and also a commitment to hire, with salary and benefits, any program participants.
Its primary goal was to train future lay leaders for the Catholic church, via service in Catholic Schools. A defining measure of success would be to try and achieve 85% of alumni, serving for 10-15+ years in Catholic schools.
Since its inception, LU CHOICE has worked in over forty schools, taught over 10,000 students and 117 teachers have graduated from our program. The majority of our graduates have remained in education with most of those in Catholic Education.
The original program had 22 participants. In 2005 it was decided to reduce the number of participants to 12, using the other 10 mission scholarships for the Magis program.
The Magis program, would be an experiment, to see if a model similar to LU CHOICE, could yield the same results, with Social work and pastoral students. Unfortunately, there were no partner agencies requesting social workers or pastoral students and no commitment to hire such students. However, Loyola was interested in seeing if this model could be replicated in other areas.
Over the years the LU CHOICE program has worked to reflect the justice, equity and antiracism values espoused by the University. One of the elements of the LU CHOICE program was community living. This limited the program to young, single persons. Many of our partner schools had excellent, dedicated teachers in need of certification that were not available to live in the community, thus eliminating their opportunity to join the LU CHOICE program. In addition, the model was to send students to schools that were serving a minority population. This model created an experience for the participant but not a long term experience for the school.
In 2021, we eliminated the community-living requirement and focused our recruiting on keeping current teachers in schools: keeping people from the neighborhood in the neighborhood.. Looking for current, dedicated, Catholic school teachers needing teacher certification to ensure longevity in their Catholic school.
In the first year of this model our applications tripled, speaking to the need in our city. Our participants are current teachers in Catholic schools located on the west and south sides of Chicago. Since they are already dedicated to their schools, our program is helping them to develop as well rounded professionals interested in a long term career at their school.
Since this change, 100% of our members have stayed in Catholic Schools, with 70% of our current alumni, in Catholic Schools.
The Magis program, following the model of JVC - community living and working for a stipend - has not translated to something that is sustainable over time. Limiting the experience to only persons that were former participants in JVC seemed to limit the scope and reach of membership. It also did not seem to fit with Loyola’s commitment to equity and diversity. In addition, persons not available for community living would not be eligible for the experience.
Participants worked for a stipend in Catholic agencies in Chicago. Over time, the stipend was not a livable wage for participants, so the program attempted to find Catholic Agencies willing to pay at least minimum wage for our interns. We have not been able to find partners that are willing to pay salary/benefits for the formation of interns, as there are many schools of social work in Chicago offering interns for free to agencies. Having partners willing to hire and help form our students is an essential component of a successful program.
While we made community living an option, the opportunity has broadened to include others formerly not eligible for the program.
In reflecting on the mission of preparing leaders for the Catholic Church, of the over 79 graduates of the Magis program, only 5% are working in Catholic agencies. Not having Catholic partners willing to step up and provide opportunities for our members further limits the mission being accomplished. In addition, persons attracted to the Magis program have not expressed a desire for long term service/employment in Catholic agencies.
While the Magis program has definitely formed well rounded, professional social workers and pastoral students, it has not achieved its goal of training future lay leaders, for the Catholic Church, through long term employment/service in Catholic Agencies.
Our country and city are suffering from a massive teacher shortage. Our Catholic schools unfortunately are Not only not immune but actually feeling the shortage more, as teachers are lured to moderately higher paying positions in public education.. Expanding LU CHOICE from 12 to 22 would allow the program to continue to help meet the need for the Catholic schools in Chicago in need of dedicated, certified teachers.
This would be in alignment with the Jesuit apostolic preference of journeying with youth. In addition, keeping with Loyola’s commitment to education and a preference of working with and expanding the reach of the School of Education.
We currently have a program that is serving the Catholic church through our Catholic schools. We have a need for certified Catholic school teachers, and have an abundance of interest and partners in the city. Following our Jesuit tradition of going where there is the greatest need, it is time to sunset the Magis program and allocate those resources for the expansion of the LU CHOICE program. This in no way diminishes Loyola’s mission or commitment to the Catholic Church. It would serve to strengthen the university's commitment to Catholic education.
The Magis experiment, while not producing the desired result, has helped to form excellent, well rounded, professional social workers and pastoral students. The program has helped to create lifelong friendships and relationships among its members. That legacy of community, spirituality , social justice, sustainable living and racial justice will live on in its alumni.
Thank you to Loyola for being willing to try such an experiment and to continue to support the LU CHOICE program which is meeting the vital need for Catholic Educators.