All Are Welcome

All Are Welcome engages schools in a comprehensive approach to inclusive education. This program provides teachers and administrators the tools they need to support students with special needs from inside the classroom to the front office. In partnership with The Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education at Loyola University Chicago and Aspire, a non-profit dedicated to supporting the successes of children and adults with developmental disabilities, Big Shoulders Fund offers one of the most holistic approaches to inclusive education available to Catholic schools in the city of Chicago. This program will address the need for additional support for Catholic schools and their staff to best support students with a variety of physical, developmental, learning and social-emotional needs.

All Are Welcome will work with schools to assess their level of readiness, identify areas for targeted support for administrators, teachers and families, and establish structures and routines such that the schools will be better able to accept, retain, and educate students with special needs.

Participating schools receive the following supports:

✶ Administrator engagement in four courses that lead to the attainment of the Certificate in Leading Inclusive Catholic Schools

✶ Education and professional development focused on Response to Intervention (RtI) as the practice of meeting the academic and behavioral needs of all students through a variety of services

✶ Support from the Loyola University Chicago/Aspire Service Team, a collaborative team that will help schools develop approaches and practices that meet their specific needs

✶ Teacher Assistance Teams that help schools develop a referral process, use data to monitor intervention plans, and coordinate student-centered services

For more information, contact Rebecca Lindsay-Ryan.

Rebecca Lindsay-Ryan
Chief Schools Officer
312.751.3851  ✶  rlindsayryan@bigshouldersfund.org

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