The Brother John Taylor Fellowship provides up to $25,000 in travel and accommodation to an applicant involved in Catholic school education who can make a valuable contribution to education in the Catholic schools context.
Offered annually by the Catholic Education Commission NSW, the Fellowship is designed to build a body of research for the teaching profession that addresses priorities or challenges in Catholic schools.
“The Fellowship is an opportunity for anybody involved in Catholic schooling to produce lasting research that can make a difference for generations of students and teachers,” CECNSW chairman Bishop Peter A Comensoli said.
Last year’s inaugural Fellow was Mark Gronow, a mathematics specialist who used the Fellowship to research the decline in the number of students studying maths, particularly at higher levels.
Mr Gronow – Head of Mathematics at Stella Maris College in Manly – said the Fellowship was a life-changing experience and had enabled him to attend important teaching conferences in the US, UK and Australia. “The opportunity to attend these conferences and workshops and to meet people who are leaders in the field of my research could only have happened through this Fellowship” said Mark.
Bishop Peter said the Fellowship honours Br John Taylor, a Christian Brother, and his lifelong dedication to education and the ideals of equity and access. “Br John made his mark on NSW education over three decades as a teacher, principal and Executive Director of CECNSW,” he said.