Coffee With CEF

Each Wednesday at 10 AM, the Catholic Education Foundation has a special guest and a discussion of various topics regarding Catholic Education. So get your cup of coffee and join us at #CoffeewithCEF. View the latest videos here!

This new season of #CoffeeWithCEF will be packed with impactful experiences from students, expert commentary from Catholic school leaders, testimonies from Catholic school teachers and administrators on how this new school year is looking like and so much more. RSVP now at www.cefdn.org/coffee-with-cef.

Catholic Schools Collaborative: CEF takes a trip to the Catholic Schools Collaborative to learn about their programs and their mission to increase the literacy and numeracy gap in K-8 grade schools. Preparing our Catholic school students for a bright future is what their vision is predicated on and they are working hard to ensure that our schools are equipped and have the resources necessary to succeed! Recorded on Zoom, October 21, 2020

Season 1 Retrospective: We enjoyed short testimonies from almost all of our guests from Season One of Coffee with CEF. They are making great strides and we are so happy for all of the success they have had, despite being in the middle of a global pandemic! We heard from various leaders and students throughout the entire Archdiocese in this episode. Recorded on Zoom, October 14, 2020

A Boyle Heights Farewell! John Rojas, principal of Our Lady of Talpa Elementary School and Jocelyn and Allyn, 8th grade students, join CEF in saying farewell to Katie Kevorkian, Associate Director of Development at CEF. Allyn performs a live piano concert and Jocelyn talks about life as a student athlete when school sports are canceled. Recorded on Zoom, October 7, 2020

It’s Art Day! Special guest speakers Nan Young and Gerri Wendel from Art Trek, Carol Dailey from the Porteous Family Foundation and Nancy Kuria and Father Claude Williams from Sts. Peter and Paul School share how art has impacted students throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Recorded on Zoom, September 30, 2020.

CEF takes a field trip to St. Odilia School in South Los Angeles and hears from Principal, Sima Saravia-Perez, Vice Principal, Richard Monteilh, teacher, Myra Rivas and Maria Reed, a USC engineering student and volunteer STEM instructor. St. Odilia shares their impressive blended learning program, transition to distance learning, and experience as a USC Outreach STEM School and relationship with the USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Center. Recorded on Zoom, September 23, 2020.

CEF is joined by special guests Adrian X. Cuevas and Vanessa Rivera of Saint Thomas the Apostle Elementary School and Erick Rubalcava of St. Pius X – St. Matthias Academy. Vanessa and Adrian describe their strong community, and Erick recalls building a brand new school in 2013. Recorded on Zoom, September 16, 2020.

CEF is joined by Paul Escala, Senior Director and Superintendent of Schools with an update about Archdiocesan Catholic schools. We also hear from Dan Horn, Vince O’Donoghue and Juan Jasso of St. Genevieve Parish Schools (Panorama City), the first Catholic school to be named a National School of Character. Recorded on Zoom, September 9, 2020.

It’s our Season Finale! Don’t worry – we’ll be back in the fall with more Coffee With CEF. Paul Escala, Senior Director and Superintendent of Schools, returns to Coffee With CEF with an update. Surprise special guest, Naomi, from St. Mary’s Academy (SMA) drops in. CEF hears from Dr. Kris Anderson, Vice Principal of SMA, Mrs. Carmen Hart, Principal of St. Frances X. Cabrini Elementary School (SFXC), Maggie Byrne, Development Director of SFXC and Lynne Hook, Development Board member at SFXC. Recorded live 6/24/2020 at 10 am PT.

Coffee With CEF & Dominican Sisters Vision of Hope! Ann Magovern, Executive Director of Vision of Hope, Sr. Georgette Coulombe, OP, Vision of Hope Los Angeles, Anabel Rodriguez, Principal of St. Michael School and Ileana Wade, Principal of St. Ignatius School join CEF. Recorded live 6/17/2020 at 10 am PT.

Hosted by Tim Smith (President, CEF Board of Trustees)! Special guests Father Matt Elshoff, OFM, Cap., and Alicia Camacho bring us on a virtual field trip to Watts to visit St. Lawrence of Brindisi Parish and Elementary School. Recorded live 6/10/2020 at 10 am PT.

CEF’s first international event! We welcome Martina Amengual from Scholas Occurrentes, a global education program founded by Pope Francis. Kathleen Domingo, Senior Director of the Office of Life, Justice and Peace and Isaac Cuevas, Director of Immigration and Public Affairs at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles offer their thoughts on the current events, including racial injustice, demonstrations and political unrest. Recorded live 6/3/2020 at 10 am PT.

The Catholic Education Foundation welcomes Bishop Dave O’Connell, Auxiliary Bishop of the San Gabriel Region of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Xochitl Hernandez, Regional Director of Catholic Charities of San Gabriel. Recorded live 5/27/2020 at 10 am PT

It’s High School Day at Coffee With CEF! Students from Sacred Heart and Cathedral High Schools describe their experience with distance learning and finishing up the school year while staying Safe at Home. Special guest speakers include Dr. Dan O’Connell, Deputy Superintendent of High Schools; Raymond Saborio, Principal of Sacred Heart High School; Martin Farfan, President of Cathedral High School; seniors, Diana, Oscar and Danial and junior, Kelley. Recorded live 5/20/2020 at 10 am PT.

Deacon Doug and Dr. Phyllis Cremer join CEF to share their experience as deacon and principal, respectively, at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish and School in Altadena. Scott Higdon of the Dept. of Catholic Schools shares the good news from our schools throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Recorded live 5/13/2020 at 10 am PT.

CEF goes on a virtual visit to Bishop Conaty – Our Lady of Loretto High School in Los Angeles. Ambassadors from BCLHS include Principal Andrea Jenoff, Vice Principal Jacqueline Lucero, Development Director Diane Techam, English teacher Vanessa Poe, and students, Brianna and Jeaneth. Brianna and Jeaneth talk about remote classes, socializing while staying at home, and their plans for college and career. Recorded live 5/6/2020 at 10 am PT.

CEF takes a virtual trip to Bell Gardens, CA to meet with Peggy Weber, principal of St. Gertrude the Great Elementary School and Father Nabor Rios, pastor of St. Gertrude the Great Parish. Peggy and Father Nabor discuss the challenges facing their community and the ways they are working to meet the physical and spiritual needs of their people. Lilia Chavez from the Department of Catholic Schools speaks about the free and reduced breakfast and lunch program. Recorded live 4/29/2020 at 10 am PT.

CEF is joined by Nancy Portillo of the Dept. of Catholic Schools, Alex Chacon of Salesian High School and Karina Moreno Corgan of Dolores Mission School. Recorded live 4/22/2020 at 10 am PT.

CEF is joined by Antonio Felix of Loyola Marymount University School of Education and Paul Escala, Superintendent of Schools! Recorded live 4/15/2020 at 10 am PT.