On October 3 – 5, 2018, our Catholic Sisters Strategic Initiative convened over 60 grantees and key stakeholders in Long Beach, California, including their monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) partner, University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture (USC CRCC).
Themed “New Directions: Increasing Impact Through Learning and Leadership,” there was a clear focus on the strategic vision of the Catholic Sisters Strategic Initiative to ensure a shared understanding of the newly approved Phase II strategy. This included reflections on lessons learned from Phase I, with key takeaways presented by USC CRCC.
The program included a mix of presentations, roundtable discussions, networking and social gatherings, as well as an evening Mass with celebrant Father Hank Lemoncelli, OMI, visiting from the Vatican. The final day of the convening featured a dynamic panel discussion on human trafficking, an issue for which Catholic sisters have demonstrated significant leadership and commitment.
We are grateful for these opportunities to connect with our grantees, partners and stakeholders to share knowledge and support for the global sisterhood.