Jim Pieczynski´s introduction to admissions course

August 30, 2008. Atlanta, Georgia. A total of 80 school administrators and 30 teachers converged on the Simpsonwood Retreat Center in Atlanta, GA from July 28 to August 1, 2008 for the annual Summer Institute sponsored by ICIF (International Center for Integral Formation). Their goal was to learn more about the Integral FormationSM method of education developed by the Legionaries of Christ, and to find ever more successful ways of implementing it in their schools.

The participants, who came from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, and the Philippines, were able to choose from over 40 different presentations on every facet and nuance of integral formation, from apostolic formation to curriculum mapping to gender-specific formation and more. The participants were subdivided into special tracks and presentations for school executive directors, principals, academic coordinators, formation directors, deans of students, admissions directors, and teachers.

One of the highlights for

	The meals provided an opportunity for team building and exchanging experiences.

the administrators and teachers was the chance to learn from each other, and to share experiences of what worked and what didn’t. The round-table discussions were an especially good opportunity to share “best practices” and talk about strategies that gave good results.

“People were happy to get together and network with other school administrators,” said Eduardo Grandio, the director of ICIF. “It gave them a chance not only to learn the principles, but also to share experiences and learn from people who have had successes in their work.”

It was not all work, however. The administrators and teachers were able to get away to an Atlanta Braves game on Tuesday, take a tour of Pinecrest Academy on Wednesday, and gather for a Eucharistic holy hour on Thursday evening.

New Web Site: www.icifusa.com

Eduardo Grandio, the director of ICIF, was also pleased to announce the unveiling of the new ICIF web site. Its stated goal is

	A moment of Eucharistic adoration at the holy hour on Thursday.

to “develop and maintain educational models of excellence, faithful to the principles of Christian humanism, through processes focused on theory, innovation, and the needs of society.”

One innovation of the ICIF site is its internationality. Through ICIF, schools in the United States and Canada are connected to an international network of over 175 schools, all of which use the method of Integral FormationSM. In addition to the United States and Canada, these schools are located in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Spain, France, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Germany, and the Philippines.

The ICIF web site also presents a detailed explanation of the 8 characteristics which serve as the backbone of the Legionary model of education:

• Integral Formation
• Academic Excellence
• Christian View of Man
• Family Involvement
• Leadership Preparation
• Personal Attention
• Positive Discipline
• Social Servicetestuco sasas sasas sasa sa s s s

  	ICIF’s international reach in the field of education.

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For teachers and administrators, ICIF also provides a listing of the various services it provides, from professional development to curriculum help to school operations and administration consulting.

For more information about ICIF and the Legionaries of Christ’s IntegralFormationSM method of education, visit www.icifusa.com.