NCEA Monthly Feature School: Our Lady of Lourdes in Omaha, Nebraska

Our Lady of Lourdes School has been providing high quality, Christ-centered academics to our students for over 80 years and should be featured because we are leading change and a new model of urban Catholic education. As a member school of the Omaha Catholic School Consortium, Our Lady of Lourdes ensures its students have access to an exceptional education in a nurturing and culturally unique environment, where they are encouraged to explore their Catholic faith and become Disciples of Christ. At Our Lady of Lourdes, we are committed to faith, dedicated to academics, and connected to the community.

Enrollment Growth and Accessibility: In just four short years, Our Lady of Lourdes School has grown 15 percent! Enrollment growth like this is unheard of in urban Catholic education and we attribute our growth to our tremendous administrator, educators, and school community. As a member school of the Omaha Catholic School Consortium, we strive to make tuition affordable and make Catholic education available to all children.

Academics: Our Lady of Lourdes School is fully accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education. Our students consistently perform in the top 25 percent of the nation for core subjects like math, language arts, reading, social studies and science. We offer a robotics club, service learning projects, and all students in fifth – eighth grade discover online Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing as part of our science curriculum. Moreover, we provide a blended learning environment where technology is used to transform and improve the learning process for our students. Our students have access to leading edge technology, project based learning, small group instruction and more to help each student in achieving his or her personal best. Our graduates are not only well prepared for academic success in high school and beyond, but positioned for future success in life as servant leaders.

Faith Formation: At Our Lady of Lourdes School, faith isn’t just a part of our curriculum, it is the reason for our existence and the foundation for everything we do and say. Faith is integrated into all subjects. It is found on playing fields, taught through service trips and realized in daily interactions students have with the caring adults that are present to guide them. Faith is core to our culture, and our staff is committed to growing students’ faith by educating them on Catholic teachings and living according to the principles Jesus taught.