History of Lalanne
Why "Lalanne"?
Father Jean Baptiste Lalanne (born in the mid 1700s) was one of the original seven members of the Society of Mary (the Marianists). Lalanne was a noted educator whose success derived in large measure from his devotion to education as both a ministry and a profession, to his great love of children, and to his sympathetic understanding of children's problems. His career as an educator spanned more than 60 years. Next to Fr. Chaminade, no one played a more important role in estabishing and developing the Marianist education tradition than Father Jean Baptiste Lalanne.
The History of Our Program
In 1996, the University of Dayton's Center for Catholic Education conducted a survey of the nearly 200 Catholic dioceses in the United States, asking superintendents to identify their greatest needs. Nearly 60% of the superintendents expressed an interest in a program that would bring committed, qualified teachers to their schools, individuals who understand the unique mission of teaching in a Catholic school. In response to this survey, the Center for Catholic Education established the Lalanne program.
Lalanne teachers make a two-year commitment to teach in an under-resourced Catholic school while living in community and pursuing spiritual and professional development. In the fall of 1999, six teachers began their service as Lalanne teachers in Dayton, Ohio. Over time, Lalanne expanded into other dioceses that expressed an interest in the program. The last Lalanne alumni survey was completed in 2007. Building on the survey results, as of 2011, 116 women and men have completed the Lalanne program. Of those, 100 (86%) continue to teach with 77 (77%) of the 100 teaching in Catholic schools. The rest of the Lalanne graduates have moved into leadership roles as principals, assistant principals, and campus ministers (at the high school and college level), and one directs a literacy program. Only four (3%) out of the 116 have left the field of education for other careers.
Lalanne joined the Catholic Volunteer Network (formerly the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service) in 2000. As a result, Lalanne teachers previously qualified for AmeriCorps Education Awards. Unfortunately, as of July 2011, this funding has been discontinued because of national funding cuts.