St. Joseph's Academy

Expanding the cultural diversity of the student body at St. Joseph’s Academy is a top priority for the Administration and remains a priority item on the agenda of the Parents' Advisory Council. The location of the Academy, lack of convenient public transportation, and limited scholarship support combine to make recruitment of qualified students of color and diverse cultural backgrounds a continuing challenge.

While leadership continues to work to expand scholarship support and to actively recruit students from areas that traditionally have not considered St. Joseph’s Academy a viable high school option, the faculty has selected Awareness of Geography and Culture as a priority area for inclusion across the curriculum as well as beyond the classroom. We will bring our students to the world through the design of our curriculum and through our strong commitment to serve "the dear neighbor" while we endeavor to expand the cultural diversity of our student body.

In preparation for the North Central Association site visit in February 2005, three objectives were identified as the guiding principles to achieve our goal of expanding our students’ awareness of geography and culture.

1. Students will improve their ability to identify major cities and countries on a world map.
2. Students will increase their awareness of and exposure to ethnic events in the St. Louis area and their contact with people from cultures other than their own.
3. The number of students volunteering at culturally diverse venues will increase.

Specific teaching strategies have been implemented to ensure that all faculty members infuse geographical and cultural perspectives into their course work. A week of cultural celebration has been added to the spring school calendar. Guest speakers, field trips, and participation in the myriad of multicultural events and programs in the community will help students to experience first hand what they are learning in the classroom. Expanded opportunities for SJA students to volunteer at agencies that serve other cultures have been arranged. Careful evaluation and frequent assessment over the next three years will help us measure how well we have achieved our stated objectives.

According to our Mission statement, St. Joseph’s Academy wishes to graduate young women prepared for a global world and ready to make an impact on that world. Through the successful implementation of this priority area, our graduates will be better able to understand and respect people not like themselves, and with such understanding be better able to impact the world in a positive way.