African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC)

Marywood partners in empowering African Sisters to build sustainable communities. The mission of African Sisters Education Collaborative, or ASEC, is to facilitate access to education for women religious in Africa that leads to enhancement and expansion of the education, health, economic, social, environmental and spiritual services they provide. Their vision is to be a sustainable organization with a proven capacity to collaborate, develop, and deliver educational programs that strengthen the capacity of women religious in Africa. ASEC's U.S. headquarters is located at Marywood University.

The history of ASEC dates back to 1995, when growing solidarity among women religious in Africa and the United States sparked a commitment to work together to address the issue of educational access. As a result of needs assessment and careful analysis, ASEC, was inaugurated in 1999 by leaders of four congregations of women religious in Pennsylvania and the presidents of the colleges and universities founded by their congregations for purposes of providing educational opportunities for women religious in Africa. ASEC is governed by a two-level Board of Directors and received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2006.