We believe there is genuine value in using a common set of clearly-stated objectives to connect the big-picture goals shared by parents, learners, and educators to the many different kinds of activities and organizations that flesh them out. We also realize that these objectives are meaningless if they are not based in a sound understanding of what a human being is and what makes it possible for humans to cooperate freely and fruitfully in the various societies in which they inevitably participate.
Through step-by-step adoption of a shared whole-person formation goal, we can help make each teacher’s work, or each formation program’s results, more intelligible to others, and methodically capture and display the value of each one’s efforts. No more judging a program by numbers or "how did you feel about it?" surveys--instead, we will be able to discuss what steps teachers took toward what shared goals, and how those teachers recognize and describe success.
The Formative Virtues Rubric is a description of success in whole-person formation that is flexible enough to apply to a camp counselor’s training program, yet expansive enough to revitalize a university. We hope to help all those involved in formation to more and more clearly identify and prioritize their goals, so each can recognize what parts of a whole-person formation they can most effectively address.
We especially encourage the development of new communities and organizations that integrate the liberal and practical arts in a thorough, studied, and practical manner consistent with the Catholic tradition. We hope to be Oklahoma’s premier incubator for such programs, deliberately cross-fertilizing the fresh and the ancient, the tested and the experimental. When a fresh program is very intelligible to an existing program, it reduces the risks for those who want to try the fresh program and the disruption to the existing program, benefitting all concerned.
Over time, we will become the living index of quality formation programs throughout Oklahoma, setting a standard of credible formation that will benefit learners and teachers alike, in and beyond the Catholic community.