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      Please click the picture for the Herald star article.

2019-2020 MOU Agreement and Grant Proposal to Aid to the Church

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“Not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22: 42)

With the opening of the 2019-2020 academic year, Franciscan University welcomed our new president Father David Pivonka, TOR, back to campus. A Franciscan graduate, class of 89', Father Dave has been a steadfast friend of the University. His inauguration provides the opportunity for Franciscan University to more fully cultivate and support our Catholic brothers and sisters in the United States and abroad.

 

Our partnership with Archbishop Bashar Warda over the years has expanded in multiple facets. His Excellency has chosen Franciscan University to provide graduate courses to his school leaders in the Master of Catholic Leadership program, the Master of Business Administration, and to host the first St. Thomas Mission providing our local Catholic schools the opportunity to meet their peers from Erbil. This mission not only opened opportunities for students to hear their peer's stories of the life of persecuted Christians but a platform for authentic dialog and new friendships. 

As the relationship between Franciscan University and the Chaldean Diocese of Erbil has grown, it became evident the forming of an MOU with the Catholic University of Erbil, Iraq, would be the next step; the MOU will develop mutual support between institutions. This proposal seeks to define the most current needs to build resources and opportunities for Catholic University in Erbil, Mar Qardakh school, the Diocesan communities. 

 

 

  • St. Thomas Mission- funding for this mission to continue as part of a fall and spring event. 11 people- 28,000 per semester {flight, accommodations, meals, excursions} 4 semesters - $112,000

  • Funding for Master level students to attend Franciscan University to study Nursing and Business. Four scholarships and living expenses -$400,000 

  • Funding to build teacher training and host a virtual conference to facilitate small group instruction and ongoing professional development- $20,000

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Presentations and Publications

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Research manuscripts and Presentations​ 

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  • Catholic University of Erbil, Iraq: Guest Speaker August 2021: “The Pebble in Your Shoes: Creating Change Through Transformational Stewardship”

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  • Mar Qardahk School, Ankawa, Iraq: Ten Day Professional Development for Teachers and Consultant

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  • Catechetical Review 2021: “Lessons Learned from Catholic  School in Iraq. Issue 7.3

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  • NCEA Virtual Leadership Summit 2020: Mision and Catholic Identity: Leadership in

       Times of Crisis

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  • From Ohio to Hong Kong: Fostering Dynamic Learning Communities Through the Building of International Partnerships" World Journal of Education and Humanities ISSN 2687-6760 (Print) ISSN 2687-6779 (Online) Vol. 2, No. 3, 2020

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  • St. Bonaventure Leadership Conference 2019: Building Self Leadership Within Your Organization By Utilizing  the Skills of Transformational Stewardship” St. Bonaventure, NY

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  • National Catholic Educator Conference NCEA 2019 “Creating Change Through Transformational Stewardship: Identifying Your Personal Call to Lead” Chicago, Illinois

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  • Tepeyac Leadership Initiative 2019 “Applying Higher Education as a Resource to Ongoing Professional Development” Phoenix, Arizona

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  • Comparative and International Educational Society 2018: Re-Mapping Global Education“ From Ohio to Hong Kong: Fostering Dynamic Learning Communities Through the Building of International Partnerships” Mexico City, Mexico

 

  • 3rd E-Conference by the European Scientific Journal 2018 “Writing an academic article: What we should pay more attention to?

 

  • 8th International Scientific Forum 2017 “Global Challenges and Victories, Together We are Better” Pembroke, North Carolina

 

  • 7th global Academic Meeting 2017 “Cultivating A Community of Change Through the Implementation of Shared Leadership Theory” Budapest, Hungary

 

  • 4th Eurasian Multidisciplinary Forum 2016 “Fostering a Culture of Collaboration During International Preservice Teacher Field Placements: The Power of Mentor Teachers” Vienna, Austria

 

  • Presenter and Panel Discussant: Comparative and International Educational Society 2016, “Creating Shared Leadership through New Faculty Orientation”, Vancouver, British Columbia

 

  • Comparative and International Educational Society, Ubuntu! 2015” Connecting Faith and Pedagogy: Identifying Charisms in a Catholic University’s Study Abroad Experience”, Washington, DC

 

  • Critical Issues in Education Conference, Academy for Educational Studies 2014 “The Development of a Procedural Program (E.L.I.S.A) Establishing International Preservice Teacher Field Placements with Reflections of Cross-Cultural Observations in Gaming, Austria. (Longitudinal Study ), Louisville, KY

 

  • Bishop King Mussio 2014:  “Catholic Social Teaching: Connecting School and Community Using KIVA to Teach the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Justice.”  (Co-authored curriculum resources), Steubenville, Ohio

 

  • Ohio Confederation of Teacher Education Organizations, 2014 “Synchronous Online Distance Learning: Lesson Learned from a Pilot Study in Educator Preparation”

 

  • Presenter: Penn State Shenango Conference, 2013 “Teacher Preparation toward 2030: Global, Cyber, and Technology”, Austin, TX

 

  • Professional Development Schools National Conference, 2012 “The Heart and Soul of Our Clinical Practices: Strategic Partnerships”, Pittsburgh, PA

  • Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, 2012 “Using a Wiki to Facilitate Pre-Service Teachers' Cultural Awareness Evolutions during an International Teaching Field Placement: A Preliminary Report” Ohio Department of Education, Social/Emotional Learning, Standards Committee, Columbus, OH 2010

USCCB-SPARTAN-USCCB Communication Grant

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Suicide Prevention and Recognition Training for American Natives

Video Resource for TeenSuicide Prevention

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Out of all cultural groups, the Native American communities have the highest rate of suicide in the United States.  In some Native American Nations, the rates of suicide have reached epidemic proportions. According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide looks very different in Native communities than it does in the U.S general population. Nationally, suicide tends to skew middle-aged (and white); but among Native Americans, 40 percent of those who die by suicide are between the ages of 15 and 24.

 

In this age range suicide is 7 times higher than the general population. From a Roman Catholic perspective, this is a pro-life issue along with being a mental health problem. The need to work out a comprehensive video and study guide series that can be adapted to each Native American community’s circumstances is vital to Native American spiritual, emotional and physical health especially for young. This program is envisioned to be centered on Native American Catholic school students. The overall objective of this program is to take suicide off the table of possibilities for Native American youth. It is to transform hopeless lives to hopeful lives.

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November 19, 2019 : Notified the grant has been awarded. The project will receive $80,000 to fund a documentary with 4PMMedia featuring Father Dave Pivonka, speaker series, and development of curriculum to support school intervention.

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Certified MCORE Consultant 2019

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Associate Editor for the European Scientific Journal 

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