DAYTON, Ohio — A gift of $1.5 million given to the University of Dayton’s Center for Catholic Education by Peggy and Victor Dubrowski will “help prepare the next generation of Catholic educators,” according to a university release.

“Catholic schools need educators who teach and inspire, blending faith and learning in ways that truly shape students’ lives,” said Darlene Weaver, University of Dayton provost, in the release. “This generous gift will help us support Catholic educators and students for the long term.”

The center has three flagship programs:

• Empowering Local School Children With Hope and Opportunity, which provides counseling/social-emotional learning programs for children at various schools
• Lalanne, which provides mentorship, professional development and community to new teachers in “under-resourced schools”
• The Saint Remy Initiative, which equips “school leaders to integrate faith across all subjects and create a distinctive Catholic learning environment”

“Catholic schools face sustained pressure from a culture that opposes the truth and beauty of our faith. Catholic educators need the tools to integrate this faith into every subject with bold clarity and confidence,” said Peggy Dubrowski, a University of Dayton alumna and longtime Catholic educator. “Our hope is that when people think about training Catholic educators, they think of the University of Dayton first.”

According to the release, the university is going to be looking for a new executive director.

The university said the Dubrowskis are regular and long-time contributors to the school.

“The Dubrowski’s generosity will directly impact the formation of K-12 teachers, giving them the tools to create distinctively Catholic learning contexts across our region,” School of Education and Health Sciences Dean Ali Carr-Chellman said in the release.