The Catholic University of America is partnering with an independent Catholic high school in Denver to launch a brand-new national accreditation program.
Dubbed Lumen Accreditation, CUA has chosen St. Paul the Great Catholic High School (JPG) in Denver to be among the first cohort for the program to roll out in, and they are the first independent high school to be a part of the program. The program will be overseen by the Institute for the Transformation of Catholic Education (ITCE) at CUA.
“After a visit to Denver where Sister Mary Agnes Greiffendorf, O.P., former director of the ITCE, met President Kummer and subsequently visited the school, she connected us to JPG because she witnessed the potential for a beneficial partnership,” said Daryl Hagan, Director of Catholic School Accreditation for the ITCE at CUA. “After meeting President [Jeff] Kummer and Principal [Erin] Heule, we agreed!”
As the newly-opened high school continues to grow, finding the right accreditation partner has been a priority for the leadership team at JPG, and they expressed that they are honored and excited to partner with CUA.
“Lumen Accreditation continues The Catholic University of America’s long history of supporting K-12 Catholic education and affords Catholic schools the opportunity to evaluate every aspect of their school in light of their Catholic mission,” Hagan added.
The roll out of Lumen at JPG also coincides with its launch at the 91 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minnneapolis. The long-term plan is to build a network of partnerships with Catholic schools around the nation.
“In addition to Saint John Paul the Great, we are excited to announce a partnership with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (MN) and their 91 schools,” Hagan said. “Both JPG and the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis are invited to join Lumen Accreditation in the St. Augustine cohort beginning in the fall of 2023.
“Our plan is to carefully scale Lumen Accreditation membership in subsequent years; it is a priority to build a distinctly Catholic accreditation program that will be a service to the Church for years to come.”
To learn more about St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School and Lumen Accreditation, visit jpthegreatdenver.org/lumen.
