Why give to education?
We know there are countless worthy projects competing for your attention. We humbly suggest that education is, in that sense, first among equals.
Many of our individual challenges and societal ills stem from lack of access to a solid educational foundation. A good school holds the key that can free children to pursue happiness and purpose, both for their own fulfillment and the betterment of the world. Children who are well educated in mind, body, heart, and soul tend to:
remain committed to lifelong learning and open-minded inquiry in pursuit of wisdom and understanding
maintain well-ordered priorities rightly grounded in First Things
become pioneers in their chosen professions and communities
emphasize collaboration, creativity, and bridge-building in search of effective solutions
look beyond self-interest and prioritize the greater good
prepare themselves for full and civil participation in public life
In other words, a good school not only offers students a joyful learning experience, it also prepares them to become nothing less than a light to the nations: the leaders and saints of tomorrow. Through them, the world can be turned right-side-up and set on a path of lasting peace.
Why give to LGA?
We believe our distinctive approach particularly qualifies us to prepare children both to experience personal fulfillment and to make a lasting impact on the world.
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We believe every child deserves the richest possible education, and we won’t settle for anything less. Even ordinary students are capable of extraordinary understanding and insight when offered worthy material under the guidance of a good teacher.
Students deserve better than to be bored by a textbook editor’s summary of a DNA molecule — so we have them create their own double helix models instead. They don’t need CliffsNotes to mediate between themselves and great literature — so we introduce them directly to Shakespeare, Dante, Virgil, and Fitzgerald. They’re perfectly capable of grappling with the questions and mysteries that have confounded humans since the beginning of time — so we give them Aristotle and Humanae Vitae. They shouldn’t blindly follow “experts” when forming their own perspectives on social thought — so we skip the pop culture influencers and go straight to the sources, like Hamilton and Tocqueville.
We eschew lectures and passive training (especially through screen time overload) and opt instead for active inquiry and collaborative engagement in every class. We are unconditionally student-centered and prioritize joyful learning for every child who walks through our doors.
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We are not educating children merely to become future laborers in a global workforce; rather, we are educating them to become happy people who make a lasting impact on the world. Our curriculum reflects a deep commitment to whole-person formation; in this way, we equip students to flourish not only in their careers, but in mind, body, heart, and spirit.
+Every student takes Latin, because Latin sharpens the mind, cultivates mental alertness, creates keener attention to detail, develops critical thinking, and enhances problem solving abilities.
+Every student studies Euclid, because he helps us understand the nature of proof and develop logical thinking.
+Every student takes Drama, because Drama allows us to explore the cognitive, emotional, relational, and moral terrain of human existence. It fosters self discipline, collaboration, and confidence, while also cultivating skills in interpreting, problem solving, and decision making.
+Every student studies Poetry, because poetry uniquely teaches us how to read, write, and understand many different genres of text. Moreover, reciting aloud builds confidence, while listening builds empathy and understanding.
+Every student takes Scripture & Tradition, because grappling with the realities of nature and nature’s God is an essential activity for a fully flourishing human being.
+Every student is invited to attend weekly Mass, because a relationship with Jesus is the most important priority for all of us.
+Every student spends as much time as possible outdoors, because life is sweeter and learning is richer outside.
Our approach prepares students to be a light to the nations:
The engineer with clear and confident vision because he’s grounded in Euclid’s Postulates
The military leader who understands heroism because he encountered Henry V and The Aeneid
The CEO equipped to exercise good leadership because she collaboratively studied On Kingship
The elected official who appreciates the fragility of democracy because she grappled with Alexis de Tocqueville
How can you know the investment is sound?
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LGA represents an exciting juncture of a much bigger story. Essentially, we are a natural consequence of the success of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School: Parents and community leaders were so pleased with OLMC, and so dedicated to extending its mission past grammar school, they actually founded a high school in the same tradition. The boldness and commitment animating that decision is itself testament to our trajectory. Our earliest stakeholders believe in the project because they’ve already been its direct beneficiaries.
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The talent and professional success of our earliest investors is a development dream come true. Even more importantly, their alignment with and dedication to our educational vision propels us forward with unmatched momentum, allowing us to make the best decisions for the ideal student experience
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While we’re not a parish ministry, we’ve built an interdependent support system with Our Lady of Mount Carmel church and school. That gives us easy access to shared services, a diverse and ready talent pool, and, of course, the prayerful support of a devoted community.
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Our school is new, but the wisdom and experience we’ve brought to the table is not. Our Director of Mission, Director of Mission Advancement, Chaplain, Faculty, and Board of Trustees have enjoyed decades of success from both an educational and business perspective. Educated at some of the foremost educational and theological institutions in the world, their professional reputations are unimpeachable and rightly inspire confidence. When you in invest in LGA, then, you’re joining a savvy partnership of individuals and organizations working together smartly to build an educational ministry worthy of every child who walks through our doors.
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We’re very confident that we prepare our students to succeed in college and beyond. Our first class of graduates and seniors have been accepted into such institutions* as The University of Notre Dame, Villanova University, Thomas Aquinas College, Providence College, Fordham University, Seton Hall University, and the music department of William Paterson University, while our sophomores and juniors are optimistically preparing to apply to military academies, Ivy League universities, and other prestigious institutions. Their test scores on the PSAT, SAT, Classical Learning Test, and National Latin Exam reveal aptitudes and skill levels that position them well for great success in higher learning.
But none of that is good enough for us: We consider those hallmarks of success essential but not sufficient. Families need to know that our students are happy in their studies, firmly grounded in their faith, and other-centered in their outlook; the larger community needs to trust and support our approach; future Chanticleers need to feel welcome and excited about our four-year adventure; and our alumni need to remember LGA as a positive formative experience.
*Click here for a more complete list of college acceptances.
“We were privileged to send our older children to excellent institutions of higher learning, including Notre Dame, Princeton, the University of Tulsa, and the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology. We’ve long desired to build a high school that both opens those same kinds of doors and unequivocally lays the foundation for a life of joyful learning and eternal purpose. LGA is that dream come true.”
“We’ve been delighted and grateful to send our first daughter to the United States Air Force Academy and our second to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Our third daughter attends Lumen Gentium Academy, and we’re confident that she’s being well prepared to enjoy the same caliber experience as her sisters. The foundation LGA offers will serve her well both as a leader and a woman of faith, wherever life takes her.”
As an investor, you deserve to know that LGA is viable and confidence in our future well-placed. We’re convinced that one successful school can be the spark that will change the world, but you don’t need to take our word for it. As the OLMC educational ministry has flourished - sometimes with families actually moving into the area specifically to take advantage of our promise - enrollment has soared, and with it the tuition revenue we need to sustain and grow the project. With laser-like focus on our student-centric approach in which every child is well-known, well-loved, and given every opportunity to fully flourish, we plan to expand incrementally and in keeping with ideal student-teacher ratios, a spacious learning environment, and an uncompromised ability to offer as much financial aid as families need to realize the dream of an OLMC-LGA education.
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Where will your support go?
100% of your contribution will go to support the distinctive characteristics that make LGA such a promising school.
1. Your scholarship support makes an immediate double impact
Our educational approach is dependent upon collaboration, because we strongly believe that students need the benefit of others’ perspectives, ideas, disagreements, and discoveries to learn well. Your investment in our scholarship program, therefore, has an immediate double impact: first on the child you support, and second on the learning community made richer by that student’s presence and contributions.
More than half of our students receive need-based aid and a select number receive merit-based awards. Our commitment to financial assistance allows us both to adequately serve economically disadvantaged families and to attract top-shelf talent to our school.
2. Your field study support gives students unique insight into the world they’re about to lead
Students can never be prepared to lead the world until they understand it, and they can’t really understand it until they encounter it for themselves. That’s why we get off campus as frequently as possible. One hallmark of classical education is our preference for show over tell, because there’s no substitute for lived experience. Whether it’s a local expedition for a science experiment, an out-of-state field study for a Civil War history lesson, or a bus trip to a human rights march in Washington D.C., your support of our field studies underwrites an indispensable feature of good education.
3. Your support for our Catholic identity keeps the faith alive
LGA proudly associates herself with the rites and traditions of the Catholic church. Everything we are and everything we do is geared towards the goal of forming our students in the ways of sainthood. That’s not some sterile, pious vision of kids locked away behind stained glass, quietly waiting for some far-away Heaven. Quite the contrary: Saints are vibrant, powerful leaders who use their considerable energy and talent for the good of a world in need. Saints are the indefatigable, inextinguishable light to the nations.
We can’t know how God will call any given child to effect His plans and purposes, but we do know that it’s our sacred responsibility to prepare them to accept His invitation. Your investment in LGA helps us situate our students firmly on God’s path for their lives, and in so doing sets the course to change the world.
And it doesn’t stop at our doors! Other institutions look to us as a model of how bold a school can be in pursuing authentic Catholicism. Our sincere desire to embrace the Church and her teachings inspires others to unabashed fidelity as well.
4. Your support of our faculty fund gives teachers their due
LGA is a community of friends and close colleagues; therefore, while our focus is the student experience, we’re determined to provide a top-notch teaching experience too. Your investment in our faculty fund gives teachers a chance to live out their calling in the way they deserve. We aspire for LGA to be the highest expression of the teaching vocation: nothing less than a place where teachers can accomplish the plans and purposes God had in mind when He called them into such a noble and demanding profession.
LGA is a magnet for teachers who view their role as wise guides who accompany and encourage, rather than authorities who dispense. Your support allows us to properly honor their selfless devotion with dignified compensation, suitable classroom supplies and necessities, and opportunities for their own continued learning.
Why is now the right time to invest?
Because this is our moment.
Never before has our educational ministry been so necessary or so achievable.
Education is at a crossroads in this country and the stakes couldn’t be higher, both for the children and the future of the nation. The alternatives available to families offer vastly different core principles. One way or another, the soul of the next generation is being formed in these schools, and we believe our approach offers parents the best and wisest choice for their children’s pursuit of happiness and potential.
The pandemic dislodged many heretofore unexamined presumptions about school. More parents than ever are thinking outside the box and exercising their right to find the best fit for their children; often they ultimately land in charter, private, or even homeschool. That means that although we’re a young school, parents are particularly willing to give us a chance right now. Your support allows us to remain in that conversation because we’re credible, authentic, and the proof is in the palpable joy and success of our students so far.
How do we avoid common pitfalls?
There is no greater or demanding task than forming the hearts, minds, and souls of children. Schools face many challenges that either compromise the mission to educate students for lives of eternal purpose or threaten their viability. We’re prepared to face both.
THE CHALLENGE: Reading, writing, and math skills were plummeting even before the pandemic, and the downward trend was only exacerbated in the last two years.
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We recognize that “knowledge” is not merely the dry acquisition of facts and data; rather, it requires understanding and enthusiasm for the subject matter. Where wonder and awe are present, learning naturally follows (and so do higher test scores). Therefore, we frame school as a great adventure and shared journey of exploration and discovery.
THE CHALLENGE: Students are bored by school and think of it as a tedious series of compulsory hoop-jumping on the way to economic security
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For one thing, we reframe the purpose of learning as a thing to be loved for itself, not merely a resume builder. We place a premium on creativity and discovery, and our teachers serve as wise guides who become just as excited with the journey as their students.
We’re also mindful of the physical dimensions of learning, such as posture, attention span, and focus. We nurture physical strength, health, and wellbeing as indispensable prerequisites to clear and engaged thinking.
THE CHALLENGE: Unhappiness has soared among high schoolers
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We start with the reality that every child is unique and unrepeatable, having been formed by God for His glory. We remind our students as often as possible that they are deeply, personally loved by Him and that they have an indispensable role to play in His salvation story. We also daily impress upon them that everything we are and everything we do stems from our unshakeable love for them.
Finally, we strive to orient them by and towards the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, such that their pathways are straight and their aims noble.
THE CHALLENGE: Students feel censored and afraid to speak their minds
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First, we embrace collaborative learning in which every voice is heard and respected. Students are bound by both our Code of Conduct and cultural expectations to demonstrate respect and charity for all. Teachers remain vigilant in protecting genial debate and honest dialogue.
Second, we emphasize an urgency for open-mindedness and a slowness to certainty. Truth is unchangeable but our vantage points are not, and there is always more to learn from one another through its shared pursuit.
THE CHALLENGE: Parents feel disconnected and at the mercy of a hostile curriculum
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We embrace the Church’s teaching that the family is the original educational environment and parents are the primary educators. We exist to support families in this great task, not supplant them. Our curriculum is straightforward and accessible, so parents can always know exactly what and how their children spend their days.
In addition, we strive to communicate regularly and fully with all parents, and we heartily encourage a close working and social relationship among families and between families and the school through our HSA.
