Center for the Study of the Future of Education to Host Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, CSJ
The founder of Hour Children, Sister Tesa will share ideas to end intergenerational incarceration.
The Center for the Study of the Future of Education (CSFE) will host Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, CSJ on Wednesday, October 3 at 5 p.m., in room 5B of the Kelly Commons.
Through research, discussion, and application to the Manhattan College community, the CSFE explores issues related to education, from preschool through college, that have the potential to dramatically impact the future of education. An ongoing focus is the impact of equity issues, particularly poverty, on learning and instruction.
Sister Tesa was responsible for New York State curriculum oversight for Catholic elementary schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn. She was both a school principal and teacher at various Catholic elementary schools. In addition to being an educator, she is a certified foster care trainer. Sister Tesa has been named a CNN Hero (2012), a White House Champion of Change (2013), and is the winner of the Opus Prize (2014).
Hour Children was founded in 1989, when Sister Tesa became a foster parent to eight children of incarcerated mothers at the convent where she lived.
Hour Children is a leading provider of both prison based and community programs that support current and previously incarcerated women and their families as they work to transform their lives and achieve self-sufficiency. More than 80% of women served through Hour Children have a childhood history of physical and sexual abuse, 82% identify as substance abusers and the average level of education is 7th grade. Their community based programs include supportive housing, employment training, adult mentoring, child care and a community food pantry.
Interested individuals can visit the Hour Children website to learn more about the programs and charitable opportunities they offer.