Type Private, all-male Phone +1 323-564-6651 Founded 1962 | Tuition 2,700 USD Mascot Verbum Dei Eagle | |
Motto Working in the Jesuit Tradition;
Ad majorem Dei gloriam
(For the greater glory of God.) Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic;
Society of Jesus Established 1962; 55 years ago (1962) President Rev. Michael Mandala, S.J. Principal Brandi Odom Lucas, Ed.D. Address 11100 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA Similar Loyola High School, Bishop Mora Salesian, Cathedral High School, St Mary's Academy, Crenshaw High School Profiles | ||
Men for others verbum dei high school
Verbum Dei High School, "the Verb”, is an all-male Catholic, Jesuit, college and career preparatory school that includes a corporate internship program, serving young men of Watts and the surrounding communities who are economically and academically under-served. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles with the sponsorship of the California Province of the Society of Jesus.
Contents
- Men for others verbum dei high school
- Semester project verbum dei high school
- History
- Corporate Work Study Program
- Athletics
- Notable alumni
- References
Verbum Dei is known for sending its graduates to some of the more selective colleges in the United States and has held a 100% success rate for sending graduating seniors to college. Its alumni have gone on to schools such as Stanford, Georgetown, Yale, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and USC. The school is located in the Watts residential district of Los Angeles, California, a few blocks north of Interstate 105 (I-105) and a few miles east of Interstate 110 (I-110).
Semester project verbum dei high school
History
Verbum Dei was founded in 1962 by the Society of the Divine Word with the permission and recommendation of Cardinal James McIntyre to serve the educational needs of the black community of South Los Angeles. The school was named after one of Jesus' epithets, Verbum Dei ("the Word of God"). Bishop Joseph Francis, S.V.D., led the founding team and was the school's first principal. The Society maintained a presence at the school until December 2006, when the long-time Verbum Dei faculty/staff member Br. Richard "Rich" Morrill, S.V.D., left because of terminal illness. It remains to be seen if the Society will provide another of its members to Verbum Dei.
At some point, the school expanded its mission in order to also serve the educational needs of the Latino community of South Los Angeles.
Verbum Dei's performance began to decline in the 1980s — probably due to the urban decay of South Los Angeles that began in the 1970s — and suffered further during the neighborhood gang wars of the 1990s; it experienced declining enrollment and instability within the administration. However, it received significant financial help in the mid-1990s and improvements were made in various buildings on campus even as new buildings were added.
In 2000, Cardinal Roger Mahony asked the California Province of the Society of Jesus to assist in the administration of the school, asserting that the school had to improve significantly by 2006 to avoid permanent shutdown. Verbum Dei became recognized as a Jesuit school at that point. Leading the Jesuit team was Rev. Bill Wood, S.J. The school became a member of the Cristo Rey Network and adopted its current scholastic model (see Corporate Work Study Program below) in 2002. The school has joint accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA). Verbum Dei also has accreditation by the California Province of the Society of Jesus.
The Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary have been providing a sister to the Verbum Dei staff for several years.
Corporate Work Study Program
Like other members of the Cristo Rey Network, Verbum Dei assigns students to jobs that are "donated" by local white-collar companies and non-profit entities in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This experience is intended to acclimate students to corporate culture, build their character and provide a motive for seeking higher education and productive careers.
The money earned by the students defrays the cost of the students' education. Participating organizations give one “full-time equivalent” student internship for a fee of $28,000. The position is filled by carefully selected young men from low-income families with an average work attendance of 99 percent. Each student works five full days a month on a rotational basis, and they attend classes and participate in extracurricular activities the remaining days. Ninety-seven percent of the student interns receive a performance evaluation of good or excellent. While almost all students benefit from various internship experiences, 37 percent of seniors have remained at the company they were placed with in their freshman year.
Verbum Dei takes care of thel transportation, insurance, workers' compensation, and work permits associated with the student interns. The CWSP staff is assigned to an account as a program coordinator to co-manage the students. This program also offers corporate partners the social and strategic benefit of enabling them to make a tangible difference in the lives of young men seeking a better future through quality education and work experience in a corporate environment.
Athletics
Verbum Dei High School has a rich history of athletics success, including national championships in basketball.