Detroit — A Catholic education plays a key role in forming young Catholic men and women, ensuring the continuation of the Church’s heritage and culture.

This was the primary message Archdiocese of Detroit schools superintendent Brian Dougherty, Ph.D., told administrators and teachers at the second annual Archdiocese of Detroit K-12 Teacher and Administrators Conference on Aug. 4 on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy.

Dougherty detailed the successful relationship between the university and Archdiocese of Detroit schools and how other methods of collaboration could be on the horizon.

Dougherty stressed the need to form a “K-16” Catholic school identity, with Catholic colleges throughout the archdiocese and state partnering with Archdiocese of Detroit schools to provide students with a Catholic learning environment into postsecondary education.

“There is a growing interest in keeping children within the Catholic education system beyond high school,” Dougherty said. “We need to build our bridges between Catholic schools. We need to help ourselves, because nobody else is going to help us.”

In August 2014, the Archdiocese of Detroit announced a partnership with UDM providing financial assistance to students from archdiocesan schools to attend the university. The $20,000 and $10,000 grants offer a $5,000 yearly tuition discount for students who attend Archdiocese of Detroit schools for K-12, and a $2,500 yearly discount for student who attend archdiocesan high schools.

“UDM’s partnership with archdiocesan schools has been very successful,” said UDM president Antoine Garibaldi, Ph.D. “More than 550 Catholic students have applied to this incoming class, with 460 coming from the Archdiocese of Detroit.”

Since the program was announced, there has been a 40 percent increase in students from the Archdiocese of Detroit attending UDM, Garibaldi said.

“It’s really a stimulus for students to stay in Catholic schools in the archdiocese,” Garibaldi said. “This offers partners and students a chance to decide if they want to stay in the Catholic tradition of education after finishing high school.”

Daugherty hinted at potential expansion of the program to other Catholic colleges across the state.

“Dr. Juan Olivarez at Aquinas College is expressing similar interests in a partnership with the Archdiocese of Detroit,” Dougherty said. “We are trying to build bridges between Catholic schools across the state; we all have the same goals and interests. Aquinas and Madonna University, along with the University of Detroit Mercy, are great opportunities for our students to continue education in the light of Christ.”

Dougherty emphasized that archdiocesan schools have a bright future, based on the bedrock of a sound education that stimulates students intellectually and spiritually.

“We know we have a bright future, because people know what we are all about,” Dougherty said. “We have — and I hate to use this word — a fantastic product, producing amazing young men and women formed in the Catholic faith.”