Type Private, All-Girls Established 1873 Founded 1873 Colors White, Red | Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic School code 443330 Phone +1 713-227-3637 | |
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Motto Praised be the Incarnate Word President Sister Lauren Beck, C.V.I. Address 609 Crawford St, Houston, TX 77002, USA Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Similar ST THOMAS HIGH SC, St Pius X High School, St John's School, Cristo Rey Jesuit, Duchesne Academy of the Sac Profiles | ||
Incarnate Word Academy is a Roman Catholic secondary girls' school located in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States.
Contents
Incarnate Word Academy serves grades 9 through 12 and is owned and operated by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Congregation.
Student body
As of the 2012-2013 school year, school's racial percentages are as follows:
History
Less than a few miles from where the Allen Brothers landed along the banks of Buffalo Bayou to begin their “great city” in 1836, Mother M. Gabriel Dillon and two other members of the religious order of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament arrived just 37 years later in 1873.
At the time, Houston’s streets weren’t paved and most residents did not yet have electricity. In fact the entirety of the town encompassed what we now know as downtown Houston. While its population was only around 10,000 residents, its Catholic leaders were already seeing the need for a Catholic school to serve the youths in the region. These three Sisters arrived and began what is the oldest Catholic high school in Houston. Although they had no real resources to speak of when they arrived, the Sisters came with everything they would need to begin the Academy – a deep desire to spread the Word of God and educate young minds.
Over time the Sisters and their successors would help grow the school from temporary quarters on Franklin Street to a more permanent home on Crawford Street, which has seen many transitions and upgrades throughout the years. Today, much like the city it calls home, Incarnate Word Academy has grown into a shining example of what can happen when people are willing to work hard and dream big.
Regardless of the changes to the school and the community, the commitment to educate and build up young women as leaders on a strong foundation of Catholic values has not changed.
Mission
Incarnate Word Academy provides young women with a Catholic college preparatory education, helping them grow in their relationship with Jesus, the Incarnate Word, and live according to His values. Its cornerstones are: Academics, Values and Spirituality.
As part of its mission to offer its students the very best Catholic college preparatory education available, Incarnate Word Academy is constantly looking at ways to improve its curriculum, technology, facilities, faculty and staff, and more. The Academy has a Strategic Plan in place to help pave the way for the next generation of young women who will call the school “home.” In addition to the Strategic Plan, school leadership is constantly adapting to meet new challenges. New Advanced Placement courses and stimulating electives have been added to the curriculum.
After 140 years, IWA understands that continually planning and adapting is the only way to be prepared for the future. IWA continues to offer its students a traditional Catholic education in an ever more modern world.
Young Leaders Program
The IWA Young Leaders Program is an innovative 4-year character and leadership development program. It provides each student the unique opportunity to develop in-demand leadership skills built upon a foundation of strong personal character.
The program provides activities and curriculum for each grade classification. For incoming freshmen and sophomores, the focus is on character - challenging each student to be virtuous by doing the right things, the right way, and, thus, becoming a role model. The focus for the junior and senior years is leadership. Our program and curriculum will inspire the student to prepare for a lifelong journey to becoming a better leader. This involves understanding the laws of leadership and how to apply them in service to others.
Additionally, the demands of the 21st century require that our students have something "extra." When they identify and apply their personal strengths in creative ways, they create unique value in their personal and professional relationships. When our students go above and beyond, the community recognizes them as future good neighbors or students whom they would like to hire one day.
This program, together with IWA's unique downtown location, creates a strong differentiator for our graduates. Some schools talk about building leadership and character as an indirect outcome of the high school experience. Conversely, the IWA Young Leaders Program is built around specific courses and activities intended to directly achieve a positive outcome. It is available to all students. The activities required to stay active in the program will demand effort largely outside of the classroom.
Those students who dedicate themselves and complete all aspects of the program will be recognized each year - internally with graduation distinction and externally by specific recommendations to accompany their college applications. Most importantly, those students who complete the four-year program will be uniquely prepared to maximize their investment in college and faithfully serve their future communities.
Rankings
Incarnate Word Academy is ranked the 21st best private school in Houston and 52nd in Texas. (The top spots on those lists go to St. Mark's School of Texas, an all-boys school in Dallas and St. John's School in Houston.) Incarnate Word Academy is not ranked nationally, while St. Mark's comes in at 8th and St. John's at 13th.