Lighting the Fire: Educating Citizens of the World The Strategic Plan for Lake Forest Academy 2008
Message from the Head of School
Dr. John Strudwick Head of School
W. B. Yeats wrote: “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” LFA’s 2008 Strategic Plan, “Lighting the Fire: Educating Citizens of the World,” marks an important moment in the history of the school. Building upon the successes of the 2003 Strategic Plan, we are able to envision a school where the passion for learning and teaching inspires individual excellence for all. In 2003, LFA’s Strategic Plan focused on the improvement of the institution through key goals that addressed the mission, the quality of students and faculty, diversity, communication, financial stability, and the school’s physical plant. Five years of determined effort towards achieving those goals has brought considerable success. The school’s mission statement has become the foundation of all we do at LFA. While increasing the size of the school from 321 in 2003 to 391 in 2008, LFA has also seen an improvement in the quality of the student body as indicated by standardized test scores, the number of
AP courses taken, and the calibre of college placements. The school has employed 15 additional faculty to ensure that the average class size remains below 12, and we have also sought out faculty who are committed to all of the expectations of a quality boarding school program. LFA has become known as a leader in the independent school world for its commitment to issues of diversity and the promotion of global pluralism. The school has significantly improved its internal communications through its investment in technology and has also reached out to external constituents through improved publications and more consistent electronic communications. LFA has adopted a sound financial model that has resulted in a series of balanced budgets and an enhanced endowment. Finally, the school has significantly improved its physical plant with a new library, science laboratories, a language laboratory, and faculty homes. Much has been achieved during the past five years, and although
there are still challenges, the 2003 plan has taken LFA to a higher standard. Now it is time to take the school to even greater heights. LFA’s 2008 Strategic Plan continues the focus on the school’s mission of excellence of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility. The plan includes five core goals that concentrate on each individual student’s experience, an outstanding and inspiring faculty and staff, an integrated community, a modern global education, and the achievement of financial sustainability as we use all of our human and physical resources to the fullest. These goals rest on a foundation from which we build excellence into everything we do, everything we are, and everything we create. It is an exciting plan and I thank everyone for continuing to light the fire in each LFA student and for inspiring the Academy to new levels of excellence.
Mission Lake Forest Academy strives to embody in its practices and to cultivate in its students excellence of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility.
Character encompasses respect for others and their beliefs, dedication to honesty in every sphere of life, realization of moral clarity and conviction, and pursuit of virtue and value in life. Scholarship encompasses acquisition of knowledge, development of critical thinking, enthusiasm for discovery and learning, and exercise of a powerful imagination. Citizenship encompasses appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism, involvement in the LFA community, participation in service to others, and commitment to global awareness and understanding. Responsibility encompasses development of self-reliance, ability to seek guidance, dedication to cooperation and teamwork, and action based upon informed decisions.
Characteristics of the Vision What LFA will look like at the successful completion of the strategic plan:
Vision The vision for Lake Forest Academy is to
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be an institution of excellence: A school where the fires of learning are lit for each individual student and where
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the graduates can be rightfully described as “citizens of the world.” The vision of the strategic plan is for LFA
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to continue to improve and evolve, advancing quality in all we do, and leading the way
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in independent school and global education. n
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P rograms that draw recognition for their quality, relevance, depth, and scope M odel interdisciplinary and collaborative partnerships in education F aculty and staff noted for their dedication to LFA values, mission, and culture, as well as for their academic and professional excellence A school that is responsive to educational demands and national and international initiatives S uperior and diverse student body dedicated to learning and to making the world a better place F urther institutional and programmatic advances as a model of pluralism A ll constituencies actively contributing their strengths to the “LFA vision” S trong financial model that supports the ongoing delivery of the LFA mission O utstanding physical plant that stimulates and facilitates the development of each member of the community
Promote Individual Excellence—Students Core Strategic Goals
Cultivate and maintain programs in an environment where students thrive as scholars, citizens, athletes, and artists Characteristics of this Vision n n
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A model advisory program for independent schools A n exceptional personal experience for all students in their academic endeavors A n educational and extracurricular program that centers on the development of the whole student and that promotes and expects excellence from each individual LFA student A world-class residential program that meshes successfully with its day student population A school that encourages student exploration and actualizes student potential through their achievements and a meaningful college placement
Promote Individual Excellence— Faculty & Staff Core Strategic Goals
Build and nurture an outstanding, dynamic faculty and staff
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A school that hires and retains passionate faculty and staff of the highest professional stature and achievement A n inspired, engaged, and dedicated faculty and staff who embrace and practice the principles of a boarding school philosophy A committed and diverse faculty who understand the importance of global pluralism and are adept at cross-cultural communication M odel interdisciplinary and collaborative endeavors grounded in the strengths of each academic discipline F aculty with a genuine desire to create the best learning experiences for each and every student through an understanding and application of differentiated learning and assessment A comprehensive and inclusive professional development program that creates opportunities for faculty and staff to realize their potential, use their imagination, and broaden their world vision
Create a Culture of Connectivity and Community Core Strategic Goals
Create and sustain a unified and integrated LFA community
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A school climate and environment that foster human and academic diversity and promote experiential, interdisciplinary, individual, and team-based learning A community of learners who understand and embrace cultural understanding, inclusion, and integration A school that empowers every individual member of LFA as well as celebrates the traditions of the school and the community as a whole A school with strong connections to the alumni and parent associations, as well as dynamic partnerships with other organizations at the local, national, and global levels A strong and supportive faculty and staff community who connect closely with their students
Prepare LFA students as global citizens for the 21st century Core Strategic Goals
Attain and preserve excellence through programs of superior quality and value Characteristics of this Vision n
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C omprehensive and rigorous learner-centered educational programs that, strengthened by the breadth and depth in curricula and the provision of appropriate individual support services, prepare students to excel in college P romotion of core competencies for learners in critical thinking, communication skills, information literacy, creativity, and methods of inquiry A n environment that teaches all students how to learn and encourages them to challenge themselves in activities inside and outside the classroom A school that embraces the needs of each individual, encourages enrichment experiences, and promotes cultural competency through an inclusive view of the world S uperior facilities and technologies that foster learning excellence E ducational and cultural enrichment programs that foster leadership, volunteerism, and social responsibility
Achieve Long-term Financial Sustainability Core Strategic Goals
Provide for the long-term health of LFA
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A n endowment greater than $50 million to be used to implement permanently the strategic goals of LFA A consistent and significant income stream from non-tuition revenue sources including annual giving, rental income, and endowment income T he use of detailed, rigorous, and predictive 5-year financial modeling within a framework of exemplary corporate governance, compliance, and controls A campus transformed with new buildings from the master plan that help LFA to deliver its mission of educational excellence B uildings and infrastructure that are superior in quality and maintained consistently at a high level
Lake Forest Academy Board of Trustees Zaid Abdul-Aleem ’90 Thomas Bagley Jacob Barker ’88 Lawrence Benjamin Stephen Brewster Patrick Carroll ’87 Chinni Chilamkurti Bryan Cressey Nancy Crown Thomas Duckworth Merrill Ferguson ’72 William Friedeman ’65 Brian Gamache Karl Gedge ’69 Alan Gordon Lauren Gorter David Gupta ’81 Gloria Harper A. John Huss Jr. ’58 Richard Jaros ’70
Ned Jessen Loretta Kalnow Kaplan ’73 Jeffrey Keller ’87 Mee Kim Charlene Vala Laughlin ’64 Peter Lee ’70 John Mengel Susan Morrison Monique Pittman-Lui J. Christopher Reyes Betsy Rosenfield J. Michael Schell ’65 Jeffrey Silver Mark Simonian ’77 Tempel Smith Jr. ’68 Nancy How Speer ’59 Regina Spellers ’85 James Stuart ’59 Catherine Waddell Robin Zafirovski
Strategic Plan steering Committee Meg Blitzer (faculty) Emily Ellison ’08 Chris Freeburg ’90 Adam Gerber (administrative faculty) Alan Gordon (trustee) Marco Hanig (parent) Sarah Hill (staff) Jeff Keller ’87 (trustee) Matt Less (administrative faculty) Lusanda Mayikana (administrative faculty) Brian Mudrick (parent) Brett Myers ’07 Olufemi Nicol ’86 Ellen Pesch (parent) Michael Simms ’08 Regina Spellers ’85 (trustee) John Strudwick (Head of School) Suzy Vaughn (faculty) Tom Wenman (staff) Robin Zafirovski (trustee)
1500 W. Kennedy Road | Lake Forest, Illinois 60045-1047 | (847) 234-3210 | www.lfanet.org