The District of Eastern North America (DENA) is preparing to welcome a new cohort of young participants to the 2025 Adrien Nyel Institute, a weeklong formation program for those exploring a vocation in education. Scheduled for June 22 to 26 at St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C., the Institute will gather ten participants, including high school students, college students, and post graduate student for an immersive experience rooted in the Lasallian educational mission.

Participants will be housed at Embassy Suites in Bethesda, Maryland. Over the course of five days, attendees will take part in school visits, university and cultural site tours, prayer services, and guided discussions that explore the deeper meaning of teaching as a ministry of service, justice, and faith.

Named for Adrien Nyel, a 17th-century layman who collaborated with Saint John Baptist de La Salle to open schools for poor children, the Institute continues his legacy by nurturing new generations of educators grounded in compassion, equity, and purpose.

The itinerary includes:

• June 22 – Participant arrivals – A welcome and community building for the participants
• June 23 – Visits to St. John’s College High School and San Miguel School, Washington, D.C.- Lasallian reflections, building community, Nick Coggin’s presentation on “ Not Just Molding, the Grind of Teaching” and “Insiders Secrets on Interviewing and Hiring” are some of the day’s highlights
• June 24 – Visit to St. John College’s High School, Library of Congress and Student Center at Howard University- for Lasallian Reflections, knowing more about the Lasallian Charism, Heritage and Mission Field of Education by Br. Ernest Miller FSC, A Zoom presentation by Alexsandra Watson on “What equity looks like in Spaces of Learning?” are some of the notable events for the day.
• June 25 – Return to St. John’s and a tour of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum- to understand and learn about the What’s in a Name: The types of schools and what a teacher needs to know as well as pathways and practices by Kerri Mulqueen. The visit to the Holocaust museum will focus on learning how to teach history in a way that fosters awareness, compassion and action for the next generation.
• June 26 – Capstone synthesis session- The participants will be challenged to design their ideal school, integrating what they’ve learned throughout the week and reflecting on their own educational journeys.

The organizers of the program hope that the event will serve as a launching point for those discerning how they might use their gifts in the field of education, particularly in service to those most in need.

This initiative echoes the call of the 2020 Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission, which affirms that education is a vital force for building a more just and compassionate world.

The Adrien Nyel Institute forms part of a broader effort by DENA to invest in the future of Lasallian education by identifying, accompanying, and empowering young people who show promise as faith-filled and mission-driven educators.