What happens in a school with a culture of trust and respect?

It is important to us that our children be aware of different cultures, races and religions and be able to view individuals as a fellow humans, friends. We all teach each other.”

–Jessica Nimjee, parent

It’s second nature for students at Columbus Academy to ask what it’s like to be another person, to walk in their shoes. Every day, students of all grade levels, together with our community of teachers, parents, coaches and alumni, engage in open dialogue and discussion enriched by differing perspectives and points of view.

Building a student’s sense of connection with others

We gained real-world, professional skills like teamwork and collaboration, knowing when to follow and when to lead. We grew so much as people.”

– Olivia Ryan, ’18, YPAR team member

Our students take on pluralistic points of view so that they’re able to comprehend different ideas and express them. We expect that of them. To that end, we provide our Upper School students the opportunity to engage with graduate students and faculty in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), a form of social research conducted through the Center for the Study of Boys’ and Girls’ Lives (CSBGL), a consortium of independent schools based at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. The students spend the school year examining issues they care about within their own communities.

It gets students looking at problems and thinking about solutions. They might not solve the problem they set out to address, but it’s an important part of the process that transforms curious students into informed, active citizens.”

– Tim Leet, Ethics and Character Coordinator

The students design projects from start to finish, learn to use quantitative and qualitative methods and analyze data. At the end, they write a final report and plan of action and present their results at the end-of-year Roundtable Conference at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as to students and adults here at Academy.

Creating community, impacting Central Ohio

Each year students, faculty and staff take part in the Kids 4 Kids food and clothing drive in support of The Childhood League Center, an early education center in Columbus that serves children with special needs and disabilities. Led by our student-run service board, the entire Academy community is welcome to donate items throughout the month of November in preparation for the holiday season to help families in need. All three divisions, along with the generous help of volunteer parents and staff members, then take the time to help sort, pack and eventually deliver these items. In addition, families from Siebert Elementary, a Columbus City School with one of the largest ESL programs in the area, also receive food, clothing, toys and gifts.

Over the years, this service opportunity has cultivated a sense of community and taught the importance of serving our surrounding area and beyond!

 

Contact our Admissions Team

Schedule a personal tour of campus! 

If you’d like to schedule a tour, please email admissions@columbusacademy.org or call the Admissions Office at (614) 509-2220 and leave a voicemail. You can also click here to submit an inquiry form.

We look forward to sharing the Academy Experience with you!