We are delighted to present Heart of Excellence, 91st Street’s strategic plan for 2025–2030.
Our foundress, Saint Madeleine Sophie, urged us to be authors of our own lives, with the courage and confidence to become what we are called to be. Heart of Excellence declares who we are and who we aspire to become. It calls us to deepen our connections, to innovate with intention, and to steward our resources with wisdom and care.
With Sacred Heart’s mission at its center, Heart of Excellence invites every member of our community to embrace education as a path towards transformation and excellence as a way of being: a daily dedication to doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.
Rooted in our Sacred Heart tradition and inspired by what lies ahead, we look to a future shaped by excellence in all that we do. Through the Heart of Excellence at 91st Street, we will build that future together.
With hope, love, and gratitude,
Lorena Sayer O’Brien
Kate D. Adams Board Chair Head of School
VISION
Sacred Heart’s rigorous pursuit of excellence ignites faith, purpose, and a deep love of learning in every student.
STRATEGIC
PRIORITY 1
Sacred Heart is a beloved community where students are nurtured and empowered to lead lives of purpose and impact.
Over the next five years Sacred Heart will…
FAITH
Deepen the community’s connections to faith, spirituality, and Sacred Heart Catholic identity.
WELLNESS
Promote a school-wide focus on health and wellness that supports the development of the whole child in mind, body, and spirit.
BELONGING
Broaden and enrich experiences of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging reflecting Catholic Social Teaching.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Educate girls to become confident, future-ready global citizens while maximizing Sacred Heart’s connection to the network of Sacred Heart Schools and leveraging NYC as a global classroom.
LEADERSHIP
Empower future female leaders to fulfill their highest purpose and lead lives of positive impact.
LIFETIME CONNECTION
Expand lifelong engagement with and celebration of Sacred Heart alumnae, families, community, and charismatic family.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2
Over the next five years Sacred Heart will…
CURRICULUM
Provide a comprehensive scope and sequence of future-forward curricular and co-curricular offerings.
RIGOR
Sacred Heart is a future-forward teaching and learning institution driven by the pursuit of excellence.
Establish clear and consistent standards of academic rigor throughout all divisions and departments by utilizing today’s best tools and resources.
TEACHING
Ensure faculty are on the cutting edge in their fields and apply best practices in teaching today’s learners.
LEARNING
Ensure students are fully supported in their pursuit of excellence, future-readiness, cultural competence, and the discovery of their unique gifts and passions.
INNOVATION
Accelerate learning and skill development to position the Sacred Heart community to thrive in an innovation- and AI-driven future.
COLLEGE
Equip students to navigate the college exploration, application, and admissions process with confidence in an evolving landscape.
Call to Stewardship
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3
Over the next five years Sacred Heart will…
TALENT
Recruit, develop, reward, and retain exceptional and diverse faculty and staff.
FACILITIES
Sacred Heart is an outstanding steward of optimized resources that ensure a thriving future.
Optimize and invest in expanded facilities to best support the pursuit of excellence.
OPERATIONS
Achieve operational excellence and cultivate environmental stewardship.
BRAND EQUITY
Leverage Sacred Heart’s brand to promote the lifetime value of a Sacred Heart education.
FINANCIAL HEALTH
Sustain long-term financial health while increasing mission-driven financial accessibility.
PHILANTHROPY
Foster a culture of philanthropy that engenders gifts of time, talent, and treasure.
Today, more than ever, people need to become interior souls, to learn to be the authors of their own lives, with a personal core that sustains and unifies them as valuable, unique, unrepeatable beings, with clear and noble goals that motivate and encourage them to become what they are called to be.
