Evaluation of Miska Youth Formation: The MFCMFI (Mother Francisca Catechetical and Missionary Formation Institute) Experience and Way Forward

The Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena established the Mother Francisca Catechetical and Missionary Formation Institute (MFCMFI) in 1987 to respond to the call of the Church for renewed integral evangelization through its Bachelor in Secondary Education major in Religious Education Program. Since the Institute’s inception, there has yet to be an adequate exploration of the helpfulness of its formation program to the graduates. With an exploratory-descriptive nature, this paper delves into the helpfulness of the MFCMFI’s Religious Education program to the life and work status of the graduates, herein referred to as the MisKa. Utilizing an online survey technique, this paper mainly investigates the factors and motivations of the respondents in deciding to enroll and graduate under the Institute’s Formation program, the extent of influence, relevance, contribution, and helpfulness of the formation program to the respondents’ life and work status and the respondent’s perception on the helpfulness of the four pillars of the Institute’s formation program, namely, pray, play, study and serve, to their lives in general. Data gathered revealed that the respondents perceived the formation activities under the four pillars as generally helpful to their lives, current work status, and personal and professional growth. MFCMFI Religious Education Program is perceived by the MisKa graduates as highly influential and relevant, and to be a graduate of the Institute makes them very happy and very satisfied. It motivated them to be fully committed to their current work. While showing high satisfaction among MFCMFI graduates, this study emphasized the need to assess the program’s impact beyond happiness. Future evaluations should focus on how graduate satisfaction translates into tangible outcomes aligned with the MFCMFI mission. The paper recommends that MFCMFI consider curriculum adjustments, enhanced activities within the four pillars, and improved post-graduation support. Further research is also recommended, including longitudinal studies, qualitative explorations of graduate experiences, and analysis of program impact on specific career paths.