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The Follow to Lead Podcast

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Follow to Lead is a monthly podcast produced by the Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative (diaschools.org) primarily for leaders and professionals in Catholic Education. Our goal is to help our audience listen for and follow God’s call in order that, both personally and professionally, we may lead others to God. Each month co-hosts Fr. Randy Sly and Kyle Pietrantonio will showcase stories of inspiration, observations and insights from Catholic leaders, well-known speakers, school administrators and others active in the educational mission of the Church. Follow to Lead can help each of us know better how God is calling us, and the role passionate Catholic education plays in spreading His message of faith, hope and love. New podcast weblog
112 Episodes
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On this ENCORE edition of "Follow to lead we'll be revisiting the communications mission of a Catholic school, which is often ignored or underutilized. We'll be joined by Kate Sell, Founder and Managing Partner of Mission Advancement Partners in a discussion on this vital aspect of our Educational mission. Today we will be focusing mostly on external communications, what needs to be said to families, friends and stakeholders through traditional means and the new avenues of social media. This will be an enlightening and vitally important program for leaders and educators, especially as our media appetite has changed significantly in recent years. You won’t want to miss this program!
Join Fr. Randy Sly, DIA Executive Director Dcn. Dana Nearmyer, and Andy Tylicki, President of St. James Academy for a preview of the 11th Annual DIA Schools Summit, to be held October 20-22, 2025. We’ll look at the scheduled speakers, workshops and the invaluable times of fellowship with other educators.
Two key ingredients for a dynamic Catholic school are Catholic identity and Community involvement. Msgr. Swetland shares how both of these have been the key strengths for Donnelly College as they provide affordable education in an Urban setting. Many of the alumni are first generation graduates in their families, changing the course of many lives. Join Fr. Randy Sly and Msgr. Swetland for this interesting episode of “Follow to Lead.”
In 2015, Jeremy Tate embarked on a mission to provide alternative standardized tests rooted in tradition. It all began when Jeremy questioned how American education had come to be so utilitarian, realizing that transcendent, moral, and ethical ideas had been gutted from the classroom. He came to the conclusion that high-stakes testing was partially to blame, driving secondary school curriculum. David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, has stated publicly that “teachers will teach towards the test. There is no force on this earth strong enough to prevent that.” If teaching to the test is an inescapable reality, then shouldn’t those tests engage students with the thinkers and writings that have most meaningfully shaped history and culture?  Historically, the goal of education has been understood as developing both intellect and character in students. Its purpose was to help students become better human beings. Standardized tests should reflect that same goal. They should leave students feeling inspired and enriched while equipping them to pursue their goals. That’s why our tests feature beautiful and meaningful content in addition to assessing timeless academic skills. By offering a new standard for assessments, CLT aims to be a catalyst for renewal in education nationwide.
On this episode of Follow to Lead we’ll be talking with Dr. Jeffrey Lehman, Professor of Philosophy and Theology with The Augustine Institute about “Teachers for Christ,” a new in-residence program developed by the Augustine Institute in partnership with the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education (ICLE). The two-year program forms future Catholic school teachers of all subject areas so that they are ready to place the best practices of Catholic liberal education at the service of the temporal and eternal good of the whole human person. Students earn a Master’s degree in Catholic Education along with a credential from the ICLE’s groundbreaking national alternative to state teacher licensure.
The Board of Directors for the Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative recently announced that they have filled the position of Executive Director. Deacon Dana Nearmyer, from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas will succeed Kyle Pietrantonio in that role. Join Fr. Randy Sly and Board Chair Pat Reidy as they talk with Deacon Dana about his background, his thoughts on becoming the Executive Director and the future of DIA.
Today we’ll be talking with Dan DeMatte , Co-Founder and Executive Director of Damascus, one of the fastest-growing youth and young adult ministry movements in the country. Damascus has had a remarkable impact in the lives of youth from across the country for the past twenty-five years. We’ll be talking with Dan about the growth and development of their camps and other ministries as well as exploring ways that youth ministry can become more effective in Catholic Schools. To discover more about the amazing work of Damascus, visit Damascus.
On May 8, 2025, white smoke at the Vatican signaled the election of a new pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo, an Augustinian, is the first American who has ascended to this position. While born in the United States, he spent many years in ministry in Peru and, later, at the Vatican. Today Fr. Randy Sly and Dr. Daniel Lindman, of Ave Maria University will share information and perspectives about our new pope and what his papacy may mean in the world of Catholic Education.
Faculty, Staff, Students and their families at Catholic Schools are among new targets for online scamming as scammers focus on elder and religious fraud. Join Fr. Randy Sly and Theresa Payton, the first female White House Chief Information Officer under President George W. Bush and known as one of the nation's top advisors on cybercrime, in talking about this issue. We will discuss a new nationwide initiative is being launched to confront a disturbing and fast-growing trend: scammers exploiting the elderly, celebrities, clergy and their followers through sophisticated online fraud schemes. Driven by the alarming rise in digital deception targeting religious audiences, this campaign will educate families, warn seniors and equip faith communities to recognize and report scams.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Over the last 25 years, there are more people in therapy and more people receiving medication for mental health struggles than ever before, with nearly every metric indicating downturns as it pertains to suicide, gender dysphoria, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Join us on this episode of “Follow to Lead” as Dr. Greg Bottaro, Founder and Director of the CatholicPsych Institute, talks about Integrated Daily Dialogic Mentorship (IDDM) or “Mentorship,” which is breakthrough model of accompaniment that is offering hope and healing to patients who have been stagnant in self-destructive behavioral patterns for years. This mentorship model also provides great opportunities for wellness in Catholic schools.
You won’t want to miss this episode of “Follow to Lead!” As we celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV on May 8, please join Dr. Brett Graham Fawcett and Fr. Randy Sly in a retrospective on the late Pope Francis’ impact on Catholic Education. As a Jesuit educator, the pope spent his early years as a teacher of Literature and Psychology in Jesuit Schools. He later taught theology and served as a seminary rector. On this episode Brett will take us on a in-depth look at his background in Catholic Education and how it formed his papacy as well as his initiatives in Catholic Education.
The communications mission of a Catholic school is often ignored or underutilized. On today’s edition of “Follow to Lead” we’ll be joined by Kate Sell, Founder and Managing Partner of Mission Advancement Partners in a discussion on this vital aspect of our Educational mission. Today we will be focusing mostly on external communications, what needs to be said to families, friends and stakeholders through traditional means and the new avenues of social media. This will be an enlightening and vitally important program for leaders and educators, especially as our media appetite has changed significantly in recent years. You want want to miss this program!
This week on an Encoure Edition of “Follow to Lead” we will be talking with Matthew Sanders, Founder and CEO of Longboard, whose focus is developing Artificial Intelligence products for the mission of the Church. This is, perhaps, one of the most fascinating interviews we have ever had on our podcast. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. It can be daunting, challenging and can sometimes even bring fear as we see AI more and more involved in our daily lives. In this interview, Matthew takes some of the mystery out of the world of AI, shows how it can be harnessed powerfully for the work of the Church and, in particular, how will continue to impact Catholic Education. You won’t want to miss this program!
On this ENCORE episode of Follow to Lead, we will be talking with Jimmy Mitchell  about the amazing “culture of conversion” that exists at Jesuit High School, Tampa, Florida. Students are encountering the Lord and being transformed as they experience the beauty of the Gospel in word, deed and visually. We will also talk to Jimmy about his book: “Let Beauty Speak: The Art of Being Human in a Culture of Noise.”
On March 3, Kyle Pietrantonio announced that he would be transitioning out as Executive Director of Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative, in order to move to a different position in Christ’s vineyard of Catholic Education. On today’s program, we want to give Kyle an opportunity to share his heart and continued vision for the work of DIA as we endeavor to move forward into the future God has for us. As the co-founder of the podcast, I’m especially going to miss our collaboration and co-hosting.
This is the final episode of “Beyond Faculty Faith Formation,” a special four-part series of podcasts looking at ways that Catholic educators can enhance their own spiritual growth and development, deepening their faith in Christ and strengthening their life in the Church. Dr. Brett Fawcett, who just finished defending his doctoral dissertation on Faith Permeation, will join us to discuss how our personal faith plays a role in faith permeation, what Dr. Brett Salkeld would call “making every class Catholic.”
This is the third episode of “Beyond Faculty Faith Formation,” a special four-part series of podcasts looking at ways that Catholic educators can enhance their own spiritual growth and development, deepening their faith in Christ and strengthening their life in the Church. In this episode Deborah Nearmyer, Vice-President of Faith and Mission and Austin Krause, Director of Campus Ministry at St. James Academy, Lenexa, KS, discuss thoughts, ideas and resources that can be helpful for teachers and administrators in their spiritual walk. We also will get an overview of the Faculty Faith Formation program at St. James.
This is the second episode of “Beyond Faculty Faith Formation,” a special series of podcasts looking at ways that Catholic educators can enhance their own spiritual growth and development, deepening their faith in Christ and strengthening their life in the Church. In addition to talking about spiritual renewal, on today’s “Follow to Lead” Betsy Orr will share about her background, her conversion to the Catholic Faith, the Retreat at Heritage Center, along with some amazing God-moments and other ministries in which she is involved. You won’t want to miss this program!
In this podcast we are beginning a special series entitled “Beyond Faculty Faith Formation,” giving those in Catholic Education some ideas to spur individual growth both spiritual and intellectually in their Catholic Faith. Today we are talking with Dr. Roger Nutt, Provost and Professor of Theology at Ave Maria University about a new university initiative called “The Wisdom Papers.” The Wisdom Papers is a free, monthly series of reflections on contemporary issues from the faculty of Ave Maria University. Topics span across politics, culture, spirituality, the sciences, and living a Christian life. Go deeper in your pursuit of wisdom with The Wisdom Papers. Inspiring. Accessible. Delivered to your mailbox or inbox. Available in print or digitally. Join us on this edition of “Follow to Lead” to learn more about this wonderful initiative from Ave Maria University. In a correction of the reference to the domain for The Wisdom Papers online, the sit can be reached at: https://www.wisdompapers.org/.  
ACS Technologies examined the theological beliefs of 15,000 Americans with their ground-breaking “American Beliefs Study: Religious Preferences and Practices,” originally conducted in 2013 and then repeated in 2017 and 2021. Out of this survey, Terry Poplava observed, “In the American Beliefs Study, newcomers reported that ‘warm and friendly encounters’ were highly important to them. We were specifically interested in the behaviors and circumstances that foster this kind of environment in a parish.” His follow up study in this area is the subject of this edition of “Follow to Lead” as we look at Catholic Schools through the lens of “warm and friendly” encounters.
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