Our Approach
Foundry Academy is focused on preparing students for college and future careers. We utilize cutting-edge educational techniques to ensure every lesson, every project, and every subject has a real-world application.
With strong Science and Humanities programs, we foster an atmosphere where creativity, individuality, and curiosity are celebrated.
Faculty members are all industry professionals, ensuring students are prepared for their degrees and for their future careers.
FOUNDRY ACADEMY ADVANTAGE
CARING CULTURE
PROJECT BASED LEARNING
REAL WORLD ENGAGEMENT
STUDENT FOCUS
Caring Culture
School should be a safe place to learn, fail, and try again. A place where you aren't just free to be yourself, but celebrated for who you are. Foundry Academy has created a culture where this is possible. To this end, our school has intentionally small classes and grade levels.
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We also have systems of student governance, mentorship, and a School House system that work together to foster open communication, positive conflict resolution, and a caring atmosphere between the students.
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Every student at Foundry Academy commits to the following Honor Code: "On my honor, I pledge to practice compassion toward others; commit to integrity, even when no one is watching; work for justice; take responsibility for my actions; and treat everyone with kindness, respect, and civility. As a student of Foundry Academy, I will pursue knowledge and wisdom to become a virtuous leader determined to make the world a better place."
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This is the heart of our school: Foundry Academy Family.
Project-based learning
Foundry Academy utilizes PBL(Project based Learning), mixing knowledge gained in subject work with long-term and short-term projects that center around real problems faced in the community.
Students work with professional experts to fully understand the challenge and gain a mentor through the process. Ultimately, the product is either presented to the community or exhibited for an audience, as opposed to simply earning a grade and a trip to the wastebasket.
House
Without time to reflect, the events of the school day remain isolated and unrelated. Foundry Academy believes in giving students the chance to reflect in their House and then share those reflections and goals, or struggles, in the constant quest for self-improvement.
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In addition, there is direct teaching about topics like brain development, growth mindset, executive functioning, and learning strategies to create a student belief system where effort is the primary driver of success, and students assume power and ownership over their own education.
Real-World Engagement
Learning extends beyond our school’s walls; it connects students to the world. In addition to learning from more traditional texts, students at Foundry Academy learn from
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Fieldwork
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Teachers who are professionals in their area
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Expert guest speakers
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Service opportunities
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Internships
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Excursions
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Entrepreneurship classes
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Real-world projects in EVERY class
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When we say fieldwork, the "field" may be a forest, a theater, a nearby town, another state, a hospital lab, a courtroom, a museum, a panel of experts, or something else entirely. Students working in the field are active investigators, using research tools and techniques of inquiry.
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Foundry Academy also holds three excursions into the natural world each year to teach students about preparedness, challenge, and accomplishment. Students learn that, by choosing your path instead of letting it choose you, you can go further than you ever imagined possible.
Internships
High school students who participate in internships build skills, establish potential college internships, and pave the way for career pipelines.
Every Foundry Academy Student participates in our Internship Program, partnering with key companies, exploring careers of interest, making connections, and building a network.
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Their experiences are sources for resume references, look great on college applications, and develop a range of vital skills.
Student-Centered Structure
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Foundry Academy is centered around the student experience.
We are a small school for a specific purpose: to ensure an understanding of the challenges and goals of every student and family. This allows us to meet students' needs while challenging them to achieve what they never thought possible.
This achieved through:
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Student-led conferences
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Family feedback surveys
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Small grade levels
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Personalized curricula options
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Hybrid or full-load options