Scholas Occurrentes approves five-year plan to expand education mission

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

The Pontifical Foundation Scholas Occurrentes, whose roots date back to then-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, announced that it held its first Assembly on 20 March.

Scholas started as a project in Buenos Aires to bring together students from public and private schools, regardless of religious background, to work for the common good.

The organization, which became a Pontifical Foundation in 2013, now partners with nearly 450,000 schools and educational institutions worldwide. In 2022, Scholas participated in the G20 Summit in Bali, where it presented its educational model to global leaders. 

In a press release on Thursday, the Foundation called the Assembly, in which Scholas' members confirmed the leadership of José María del Corral and Enrique Palmeyro as its Directors, a "milestone" in the institutionalization of the movement.

The vote for their continued leadership during the session, the statement added, reaffirmed the current Directors' commitment to the mission entrusted by the Holy Father to promote a culture of encounter through education.

Additionally, the Assembly voted for and approved a five-year plan, which will guide Scholas' development and expansion over the next five years, ensuring the continuity of its vision and the consolidation of its projects across five continents.

Pope Francis has met many times with Scholas throughout his pontificate in the Vatican, Rome, and throughout the world.

Even during the Pope's Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania in September 2024, Indonesian students welcomed him to the Grha Pemuda Youth House in Jakarta, where he visited the first Scholas community in Southeast Asia.