Since 1984, CEDC has been serving the nonprofit community by providing affordable communication and graphic design services to community and social justice organizations. We often partner with those who have been denied and disenfranchised as we work to transform relationships through communication technologies.

What is different about CEDC’s approach is the relationship we have with our clients. We approach projects with a collaborative process where needs and goals are identified, then strategies are designed to fulfill the needs and goals.

Our services include creative consultation, graphic design, logo/organizational branding, publication design and video editing — the tools by which we further justice, education and social change.

In September of 1984, the United States Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart established the Center for Educational Design and Communication (CEDC) in Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Society of the Sacred Heart, CEDC’s purpose has always been clear — to serve the Society as well as nonprofits and other faith-based groups that are in the forefront of social justice and to open the doors of communication arts to organizations that might not otherwise afford such services.

From the beginning, CEDC received an overwhelming response from the nonprofit community, and before the building repairs were complete, the staff was over their heads in projects. To date, the pace at CEDC has not slowed down, and the response from the nonprofit community has not changed.

In 2012, CEDC became an Office of The Stuart Center. The Stuart Center for Mission also houses the Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation ( JPIC), Office of Educational Initiatives and Leadership (EIL), and the Conference Center at Stuart Center. 

And while the response to our work has not changed, CEDC has changed. Over the years, we have rebranded and shortened our name to just our initials, our staff began working remotely years before there was even the thought of a pandemic.

In 2022, CEDC left the umbrella of the Stuart Center, and became an official part of the Communications Office of the Society of the Sacred Heart US-Canada Province. In 2022-23 fiscal year, CEDC worked with over 22 organizations including: 16 non-profits, 2 religious congregations, and 4 religious organizations, as well as working with the SHUSC Communications Office and various SHUSC ministries.

Over the course of 2022-2023, CEDC was honored with several awards from design competitions: 2022 GDUSA Annual Awards for “Designing for Good” (3), publication design (1); 2023 GDUSA Digital Design Awards – digital designs (2); 2023 GDUSA Annual Awards for “Designing for Good” (3), publication design (1).

After nearly 40 years since the launch of CEDC, we are still going strong. With mostly client word-of-mouth advertising we have stayed busy and true to our mission and priorities.

We look forward to what the future holds…and continuing working with our partners in mission.

“beth [CEDC] redesigned our organization’s newsletter a little over a year ago. The new look engages the reader with beautiful images, color and layout. The response from our readers is that the new format speaks to the vitality and life of the mission…and they love it! They are actually reading it now cover to cover as it is so engaging.”

– Lisa Terneus, Society of the Sacred Heart

Beth Ponticello

beth ponticello | creative director

Since 1995, Beth has been working for CEDC as its Art Director. She is an award winning graphic designer with a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art + Design in Graphic Design. Besides her work in design, she enjoys photography, movies, gaming and her two cats.

  gdusa graphic design award

People to Watch 2023

2023 – GDUSA 60th Annual American Graphic Design Award – 4 awards for: Network of Sacred Heart Schools “Sacred Heart Summit” event logo design; Society of the Sacred Heart USC Province’s Heart Magazine; Catholic Climate Covenant logo redesign and stationery; and Legal Service of Northern Virginia’s event theme and printed program “Boots & Bling”.

2023 – GDUSA Digital Design Award – 2 awards for: Legal Services of Northern Virginia “Boots & Bling” digital invitation/marketing; and Catholic Climate Covenant’s 2023 Earth Day digital publication and theme/logo video animation.

2022 – GDUSA 59th Annual American Graphic Design Award – 4 awards for: Society of the Sacred Heart USC Province’s Heart Magazine, BWHI report Tobacco Industry Marketing Awareness Survey Summary, Catholic Climate Covenant 2021 Annual Report, and Catholic Mobilizing Network Justice Reimagined event logo and program.

2017 – GDUSA 54th Annual American Graphic Design Award for the Pulse memorial logo/image published under Creative Commons license.

2003 – 11 photographs published in the Virginia 24/7 book.

2002 – AHIMSA, a book of poetry and photographs by RSCJ, was included in the juried alumni exhibition “In Process”.

1996 – 5 pieces of CEDC design work were selected for GD100, a juried exhibit of Corcoran graphic design alumni work.

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