Making places for all in our schools and parishes

By Emily Schnapf

A Place for All

As a longtime partner with the Diocese of Evansville, Marian Educational Outreach strives to help school personnel, families and the church community practice discipleship through teaching students with special needs. Families who are able to send their children, including those with diverse learning needs, to the same Catholic School can attest and embrace what this mission means for them each day.

Administrators who are supported by Marian Educational Outreach gain confidence in opening their doors to students who long to feel welcome and loved in their school environment. Teachers who receive grants from Marian Educational Outreach are able to purchase learning tools, intervention programs and technology to meet the needs of all learners in their classrooms. The support of MEO has been around for many years and continues to grow in serving students with unique learning abilities in all Diocese of Evansville schools.

As the Executive Director of MEO, I believe it is important and essential for the work of our nonprofit organization to benefit not only the schools of the diocese, but to also carry over to the parishes, creating unity in how we serve our community. When we embrace the learning differences of those attending our schools, religious education programs and Masses, we are practicing inclusion.

This leads us to truly educating all of those who are present in the Church. I am working to lead MEO in supporting and  ensuring that all students are receiving the best education possible in our Catholic schools. My heart and passion for children with special needs makes my job with Marian Educational Outreach a very rewarding one.

I am supported by a strong group of board members who are also passionate about embracing the needs of all learners. When we reflect on the mission and work of MEO, I ask this simple question: Why are we doing what we are doing and who are we serving?

Marian Educational Outreach is able to support the learning of hundreds of students each year. We provide funding to enhance and enrich differentiated instruction by providing hands-on learning tools, technology, flexible seating options and so much more. We are serving the students of our diocese by ensuring that they receive what they need to learn to their fullest, and are embraced and loved for who they are.

This impacts the entire school and parish community because students are learning and seeing diversity in the classroom and during mass. They see that others have differences from them and they are loved for those differences. This exposure leads to the power of knowledge and respecting why differences should be celebrated by all!

The way that Catholic schools are embracing the needs of all students paints a beautiful picture of how Jesus taught and embraced those around him. With schools working as ministries in the parishes, this is carried over into our church programs and the teachings of weekly masses. Marian Educational Outreach will continue providing support for our Catholic Schools.

We will embrace the needs of all learners and work hard to help make sure that schools in the Diocese of Evansville feel our support in opening doors to those with special needs. I can only pray, and find comfort in knowing that with time, everyone involved in our church communities will feel a sense of inclusion and what it truly means to be embraced by the works of our Catholic faith.

Emily Schnapf is Executive Director of Marian Educational Outreach.