Online catechist training now in Spanish

Published: August 20, 2024

En Español

The Faith Formation Office began offering a new Catechist Certification Course in February 2023 in English. On Aug. 1, it became available in Spanish as well. The 20-lesson, free online program offers video instruction presented by Arkansas clergy, religious and laity at Learn.DOLR.org. It is designed for adults who teach the Catholic faith in Arkansas parishes and schools to become certified as catechists.

“Everything we do is offered in both English and Spanish,” Jeff Hines, faith formation director, told Arkansas Catholic. “It took us longer to do (the catechist certification program) in Spanish, because we needed to develop the platform and find out if online learning was really going to work. We did the proof-of-concept in English. It has been successful. Every month, I got requests for us to offer it in Spanish.”  

When completed, the certification course provides basic certification for one academic year to Catholic school teachers, directors of religious education, catechists, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults coordinators and team members, parish and school employees, Bible study leaders, campus ministers and youth leaders or anyone else who serves in a teaching role. | Enroll now in Spanish.

The lessons can be completed at any pace or sequence and should take 12 to 15 hours to complete. Each 20-to-30-minute video comes with questions to be discussed in a study group. Self-study does not count toward certification.

New courses will be added throughout the year to Learn.DOLR.org. Once certified, catechists need only to complete any one of the courses available online with a study group prior to July 31 to renew their certification for the upcoming academic year. 

Also, any adult may participate in this program. Even if they don't teach outside the home, parents and grandparents are welcome to log onto the platform, create an account and watch the videos for their own enrichment and pass what they learned onto their children and grandchildren. Certification is not required.

The certification course includes sections on the Bible, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholic Social Teaching, catechetical method and pedagogy and more. In addition, the following courses are also available: "God Has a Plan For You," "Keys to Prayer," "Life and Human Dignity: A Consistent Ethic of Life," "The Dead Sea Scrolls," "The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church," and "RCIA 101 – RCIA Leaders and Team Training." Hines told Arkansas Catholic he plans to expand learning opportunities going forward. For more information, visit the website or email Hines at jhines@dolr.org or call him at (501) 664-0340, ext. 388.