Online Certification for Parish Catechists and Catholic School Teachers

Certification Guidelines for Parish Catechists

and Catholic School Teachers

Diocese of Palm Beach

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Catechist Certification Guidelines - Diocese of Palm Beach

There are three levels of certification available for Catechists: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Basic and Intermediate Certification are required for all catechists who teach in parish programs, but all catechists are encouraged to also obtain Advanced Certification.
All Catholic School Teachers who teach in the Diocese of Palm Beach must obtain a Foundation Certificate.
Elementary Catholic School Teachers who teach one or two classes of Religion must obtain a Level One Catechist Certificate. Elementary Catholic School Teachers who teach three or more classes of Religion must obtain a Level Two Certificate.
Middle School [6-7-8] Core Curricular Teachers must obtain a Foundation Certificate. Middle School Catholic School Teachers who teach Religion must obtain a Level Two Certificate.
High School teachers who teach Religion and Campus Ministers who do not hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Religious Studies or Theology must obtain a Level Three Certificate.

Advanced Catechist Certification/Levels 2 and 3 for Teachers

Enroll in the School of Christian Formation Online

Important: If you enrolled in the Searchlight Virtual School for either the Basic/Foundation or Intermediate/Level 1 Certification and already have a Student Number, it is NOT necessary to re-enroll when starting SCF courses. Simply order School of Christian Formation courses using your current Student Number. If you are new to the Searchlight Virtual School, you must complete the enrollment process before ordering courses.

Download the Goals and Objectives for the Online School of Christian Formation Courses

SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN FORMATION ONLINE

One must first earn the Basic and Intermediate Catechist Certification or, if a teacher in a Catholic school, the Foundation and Level 1 Certification, then participate in the School of Christian Formation (a diocesan sponsored adult faith formation program) to earn the Advanced Catechist Certification.

The School of Christian Formation has an online division provided by the Searchlight Virtual School, therefore Advanced Catechist Certification and Level 2 and 3 for teachers can also be earned via the internet. Online courses require completion of online tutorials and submission of an electronic assessment of the course text. Cost: $30.00 per course, plus the purchase of the text.

PARISH CATECHISTS

Catechists who have already earned their Basic and Intermediate Certification through the Searchlight Virtual School automatically receive credit for the Vatican II and Social Doctrine courses upon enrollment in the School of Christian Formation, but must complete the remaining eight courses to obtain the Advanced Catechist Certification.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

Catholic school teachers who have earned the Foundation and Level 1 Certification, must complete four School of Christian Formation courses to earn Level 2 and an additional four courses to earn Level 3. Note: Vatican II and Social Doctrine cannot be included in these additional courses if the Foundation and Level 1 Certifications were earned through the Searchlight Virtual School, as this material will have already been covered in those earlier levels.

School of Christian Formation … Online

Sowing the Seeds of Faith!