LU CHOICE
LU ChOICE
A TEACHER FORMATION PROGRAM DEDICATED TO CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Teachers, students, and schools throughout Chicago are greatly benefiting from programs offered here at the School of Education. Loyola University Chicago Opportunities in Catholic Education Program–coined LU CHOICE–is a teacher formation program dedicated to Catholic education. It began in 2003 and has been an immense benefit to students ever since. The two-year field-based program provides participants with full scholarships as they complete their master’s degrees in elementary education and gain Illinois certification.
LU CHOICE is an initiative of Loyola’s Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education. Rooted in Catholic values, the program promotes the missions of both the Greeley Center and Loyola University. LU CHOICE commits itself to Catholic education, the expansion of knowledge in service of humanity, and the expansion of faith, justice, and learning to advance the ministry of Catholic education.
Lee Hubbell, the program director, has been with LU CHOICE since 2004. “I get really excited about what we are doing. I think it is not only important, but it matches perfectly with what Loyola, the School of Education, and the Greeley Center are all committed to doing,” says Hubbell.
Hubbell is the administrative force of LU CHOICE. Forming relationships with participants and partnering schools, managing budgets, developing policies, and facilitating programming are all parts of Hubbell’s responsibilities. Through the program, he aims to heighten Loyola’s core values and recognize the significance of intentional relationships to be of maximum service to others.
A Loyola graduate now serves as a helpful teacher assisting students in the classroom.
To provide such transformational spiritual formation for participants, LU CHOICE equips students with a mentor who observes, coaches, and supports teachers as they work through the curriculum and earn their master’s degrees. This mentor is Sister Darlene Mayo.
Hubbell hired Sister Darlene in 2005 to bolster the program’s ability to develop meaningful relationships with participants and be of utmost service to them. “Sister Darlene has been an integral part of mentoring our teachers. She is a coach, a mentor, a support, and a spiritual leader,” says Hubbell.
Sister Darlene makes monthly visits to the classrooms of LU CHOICE teachers to observe and encourage their work. Throughout her years of involvement, she has developed a technique to do so effectively and advantageously. “I do not like to go into a room and sit in the back of the room to observe; I do that to a degree, but I also interact with the students in the classroom,” says Sister Darlene. Employing this technique allows the teacher to relax and operate their classroom as they would without an observer. “A lot of my role is to encourage them. Often, they are doing a great job, but principals do not have time to observe and give feedback,” says Sister Darlene.
“We provide training, along with the spiritual formation component, that helps teachers to navigate life balance and helps them to deal with all of the challenges that are present in education today.” Lee Hubbell, Program Director, LU CHOICE
Sister Darlene has made a remarkable impact on the students she works with and the schools where those students teach. St. Ann School, a Catholic school in Pilsen that has worked with LU CHOICE for many years, has tremendously benefited from their work.
St. Ann School annually hosts the Gala de Mayo each spring. At this fundraising event, the school celebrates its community and highlights someone who has had an incredible impact on the institution. On May 19, 2023, at the 13th annual Gala de Mayo, St. Ann’s recognized the significance of Sister Darlene’s work by bestowing her with the Serve, Lead, Love award. The award, named after St. Ann School’s core values, acknowledges Sister Darlene’s work and commitment to the mission of Catholic education as well as the continued success of St. Ann School.
St. Ann’s Director of Advancement, Katie Scully, is responsible for the school’s fundraising and, in turn, planning the Gala. She was ecstatic to recognize Sister Darlene and LU CHOICE. “We chose Sister Darlene and LU CHOICE this year because the program has had a huge impact on the formation of so many teachers at St. Ann,” says Scully. “Sister Darlene, she is the boots on the ground. She is there every month in our classrooms, meeting the kids, working with the teachers, and constantly giving them feedback. That is the best gift you can have as a first or second-year teacher.”
A student reads aloud to his teachers as they work to assist in his learning.
Sister Darlene was glad to receive the Serve, Lead, Love award. “I really feel the award is for LU CHOICE, my part in it is small. I am very happy to know that LU CHOICE is being recognized as a great program that brings a holistic education to people,” Sister Darlene says.
St. Ann School was proud to recognize Sister Darlene and LU CHOICE at their Gala de Mayo. The Gala is open to members of the Loyola community to join in the festivities. “We always want people to attend, but when it’s somebody as mission-driven, selfless, and humble as Sister Darlene, it is my hope that we can fill this room to make her feel so loved, celebrated, and honored because she deserves that,” says Scully.
Andrew M. Greely Center for Catholic Education
LU CHOICE
A program of Loyola University Chicago and an initiative of the Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education is for people seeking to earn their master’s degree in teaching, with Illinois certification, in Elementary Education; interested in completing the majority of their field experiences in a Catholic School in the city of Chicago; or wishing to participate in a spiritual formation program grounded in the Jesuit tradition.
Learn MoreStory by Kate Roudebush
Teachers, students, and schools throughout Chicago are greatly benefiting from programs offered here at the School of Education. Loyola University Chicago Opportunities in Catholic Education Program–coined LU CHOICE–is a teacher formation program dedicated to Catholic education. It began in 2003 and has been an immense benefit to students ever since. The two-year field-based program provides participants with full scholarships as they complete their master’s degrees in elementary education and gain Illinois certification.
LU CHOICE is an initiative of Loyola’s Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education. Rooted in Catholic values, the program promotes the missions of both the Greeley Center and Loyola University. LU CHOICE commits itself to Catholic education, the expansion of knowledge in service of humanity, and the expansion of faith, justice, and learning to advance the ministry of Catholic education.
Lee Hubbell, the program director, has been with LU CHOICE since 2004. “I get really excited about what we are doing. I think it is not only important, but it matches perfectly with what Loyola, the School of Education, and the Greeley Center are all committed to doing,” says Hubbell.
Hubbell is the administrative force of LU CHOICE. Forming relationships with participants and partnering schools, managing budgets, developing policies, and facilitating programming are all parts of Hubbell’s responsibilities. Through the program, he aims to heighten Loyola’s core values and recognize the significance of intentional relationships to be of maximum service to others.
To provide such transformational spiritual formation for participants, LU CHOICE equips students with a mentor who observes, coaches, and supports teachers as they work through the curriculum and earn their master’s degrees. This mentor is Sister Darlene Mayo.
Hubbell hired Sister Darlene in 2005 to bolster the program’s ability to develop meaningful relationships with participants and be of utmost service to them. “Sister Darlene has been an integral part of mentoring our teachers. She is a coach, a mentor, a support, and a spiritual leader,” says Hubbell.
Sister Darlene makes monthly visits to the classrooms of LU CHOICE teachers to observe and encourage their work. Throughout her years of involvement, she has developed a technique to do so effectively and advantageously. “I do not like to go into a room and sit in the back of the room to observe; I do that to a degree, but I also interact with the students in the classroom,” says Sister Darlene. Employing this technique allows the teacher to relax and operate their classroom as they would without an observer. “A lot of my role is to encourage them. Often, they are doing a great job, but principals do not have time to observe and give feedback,” says Sister Darlene.
Sister Darlene has made a remarkable impact on the students she works with and the schools where those students teach. St. Ann School, a Catholic school in Pilsen that has worked with LU CHOICE for many years, has tremendously benefited from their work.
St. Ann School annually hosts the Gala de Mayo each spring. At this fundraising event, the school celebrates its community and highlights someone who has had an incredible impact on the institution. On May 19, 2023, at the 13th annual Gala de Mayo, St. Ann’s recognized the significance of Sister Darlene’s work by bestowing her with the Serve, Lead, Love award. The award, named after St. Ann School’s core values, acknowledges Sister Darlene’s work and commitment to the mission of Catholic education as well as the continued success of St. Ann School.
St. Ann’s Director of Advancement, Katie Scully, is responsible for the school’s fundraising and, in turn, planning the Gala. She was ecstatic to recognize Sister Darlene and LU CHOICE. “We chose Sister Darlene and LU CHOICE this year because the program has had a huge impact on the formation of so many teachers at St. Ann,” says Scully. “Sister Darlene, she is the boots on the ground. She is there every month in our classrooms, meeting the kids, working with the teachers, and constantly giving them feedback. That is the best gift you can have as a first or second-year teacher.”
Sister Darlene was glad to receive the Serve, Lead, Love award. “I really feel the award is for LU CHOICE, my part in it is small. I am very happy to know that LU CHOICE is being recognized as a great program that brings a holistic education to people,” Sister Darlene says.
St. Ann School was proud to recognize Sister Darlene and LU CHOICE at their Gala de Mayo. The Gala is open to members of the Loyola community to join in the festivities. “We always want people to attend, but when it’s somebody as mission-driven, selfless, and humble as Sister Darlene, it is my hope that we can fill this room to make her feel so loved, celebrated, and honored because she deserves that,” says Scully.