A Bold Step Forward

D u c h e s n e A c a d e m y o f t h e S a c r e d H e a r t | O u r C a m pa i g n S t o r y

A BOLD STEP FORWARD

Introduction

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The Campaign Objectives

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Capital Improvements

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Why Now? 16

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At Duchesne, we do not ask what our girls will do; rather, we focus on who they will be for this world. As we empower to question and equip to lead, we prepare these women to excel in academics, arts, business, finance, industry, medicine, and science.

These are women of aspiration and inspiration who will be required to persevere and overcome challenges as they discover their callings in life.

It is our job to prepare them.

Meg Huerter Brudney, A‘83 Head of School

THE DUCHESNE MISSION Duchesne educates young women to be active participants in their own development. We provide a safe, loving environment for them to learn how to evaluate complex matters with poise and discernment. We empower insightful women with a sense of social responsibility and a deeply rooted spiritual life. When these competent, adept women go out into the world, they lead change and blaze trails in their respective vocations. For the more than 300 plus students that comprise the student body, their Sacred Heart education at Duchesne can be summed up in one powerful phrase: “empowered to question, equipped to lead.” The living product of a Duchesne education is a young woman wholly formed, prepared for the rigors of collegiate study and beyond, grounded in deep relationships, spiritually committed, and poised to lead.

Educating women to be courageous, confident, and competent is not a new phenomenon at Duchesne. In the early 1950s, a young Duchesne graduate decided to enter the field of medicine. At a time when less than 1,000 women in the nation applied to medical school, Gail Walling Yanney not only chose to apply, but was accepted and became one of the first female anesthesiologists in the U.S. After a successful medical practice and leadership in her field, Dr. Yanney mentors female physicians from around the country and is a champion of opportunities for women.

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“In life, the greatest barriers are those we place on ourselves.

Glass ceilings are just that limits that are waiting to be broken. There is no reason for our talents, skills, creativity, and intellects to be held back by artificial barriers. When I wanted to become a doctor, my mother sought out the best education available to me - it was at Duchesne Academy.”

Gail Walling Yanney, M.D. A’53

WHO WE ARE For over 140 years, Duchesne Academy has cemented a reputation for its strong liberal arts education, one that is deeply rooted in tradition and faith formation. The teachings of our founding mothers, Saints Madeleine Sophie Barat and Rose Philippine Duchesne, along with guidance from the Religious of the Sacred Heart and the five Sacred Heart Goals, have provided a steadfast vision that has remained constant throughout the years. While Duchesne continues to pride itself on delivering a superior and rigorous academic curriculum, many facets of a Sacred Heart education have evolved as we keep step with the changing times and commit to being leaders in 21st century education.

Our students graduate into a world that requires problem solving and critical thinking skills. We prepare them to embrace challenges, understand social awareness, think globally, and possess an aptitude for learning and new technologies. Students come to Duchesne to be challenged, not to be insulated from the realities of our world.

To form leaders of the future, our facilities must reflect student needs for community, flexibility, social space, and well-designed learning spaces.

“Duchesne delivers an excellent education that, in addition to its academic rigor, empowers young women to be compassionate leaders who possess a sense of social responsibility and a deeply rooted spiritual life.

This campaign positions Duchesne and the continuation of the Sacred Heart tradition in Omaha for many years to come.”

Tom Merkel, SJ, Board Member 3

DUCHESNE’S LIFE-CHANGING IMPACT Another alumna whose life beyond Duchesne embodies the educational ethos of “empowered to question, equipped to lead” is Catherine “Cathy” Woods Hughes. In 1960, in the earliest days of desegregation in both public and private schools, she was encouraged by a Jesuit priest to attend Duchesne Academy.

Cathy, who grew up in public housing, was not an obvious fit for the Duchesne of that era. With both a brave heart and soul, she took up the challenge of being among the first Black students at Duchesne long before diversity was a school goal.

Shaped by her Duchesne experience, she became a media personality, corporate leader, and the founder and executive chairwoman of Urban One, the first African American publicly traded media company. Cathy speaks of the life-changing impact of Duchesne.

“When reflecting upon my life, I realize it is the education and experience at Duchesne Academy that helped me to discover my love of writing and gave me the courage to be the woman I am today. It is where I learned to use my voice for change, think critically, and that nothing is possible without leaning into the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

Cathy Woods Hughes, A’64; Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Urban One

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A BOLD STEP FORWARD The lives and stories of these women and those of every student who walk this campus are the reasons behind this campaign. The board, administration, and faculty of Duchesne remain committed to the legacy of educational excellence, leadership, and service that have characterized Duchesne’s educational program throughout its history.

“Duchesne has a magnificent 140-year legacy in Omaha. I think back to my time as principal from 1978-1989 and consider the remarkable changes that have been made since then in order to continue to meet the educational, spiritual, and emotional needs of our students. I think about the ways in which the world has changed and am reminded of the importance of an education and experience like the one Duchesne provides for young women today. Saints Madeleine Sophie and Rose Philippine would be proud.”

Shirley Miller, RSCJ, Board Member

Duchesne, through this campaign, will invest in facility enhancements, academic innovation, financial access, and diversity. Achieving these goals will require a historic infusion of capital - the charitable investments of alumnae, parents, past parents, and friends. We know that in order to make this dream a reality, our benefactors will have to think about their giving in a different, more elevated way than ever before.

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THE CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES This campaign, with a working goal of $43 million, will address three categories of investment that are critical to positioning Duchesne Academy for educational leadership: 1) endowment 2) technology innovation 3) capital improvements

ENDOWMENT The $9 million objective for endowment is divided into two components including $8 million for student financial aid and $1 million for a faculty/staff salaries. The Student Financial Aid Endowment is needed to ensure affordability and the socio-economic diversity of the student body.

Growing the endowment will support our current financial aid costs which are approximately $750,000 per year. Our desire is to provide accessibility to a Duchesne education to students from all areas of the Omaha metro. Our students are better educated and more completely formed when we have young women from varying backgrounds comprising the student body. The Faculty Salary and Benefit Endowment will be used to attract and retain outstanding teachers.

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TECHNOLOGY A $3 million fund for technology innovation will be used for a variety of improvements in the classroom experience of students and teachers. Classrooms will be reconfigured to support a greater integration of technology in the learning and teaching experience from the use of smartboards in every classroom to modern classroom furniture in order to support studentcentered learning and foster active participation in the learning process.

Also, we will enhance our STEAM lab and bring this technology into the classrooms.

“It is vital for our girls to have immersive experiences in which they can experiment and see physics/engineering/biomedical science in real application. We know we are preparing our girls to use technology that has not been invented and careers that do not exist. Staying abreast of the latest technology and implementing the best available resources is our responsibility as educators.”

Dr. Laura Hickman, Principal 7

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

This $28 million capital objective will involve both new construction and renovation. Duchesne is an important part of the fabric of Omaha. The school is an anchor in midtown and our location demonstrates an enduring commitment to this part of the city. These capital improvements will bring the historic building and other campus facilities in line with the athletic, artistic, community, educational, safety, and spiritual needs of the students of the 21st century.

In addition, these capital improvements will help ease the flow of the students as they make their way through the school day and as they participate in many of their extracurricular activities.

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CHAPEL RENOVATIONS We will preserve our historic Chapel – the heart of Duchesne Academy. The Chapel serves not only as the spiritual center of the school but also as a focal point for students, faculty and administration, parents, alumnae, and visitors. While sustaining the integrity and the beauty of this special space, the Chapel will be adapted to accommodate the entire student body.

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AUDITORIUM A venue for artistic presentations, the auditorium will be renovated to accommodate larger audiences. To showcase the diverse talents of the students from acting and singing to dancing, the students will benefit from a modern stage, set, and equipment.

The auditorium renovation will provide upgrades to backstage, seating, as well as the performance spaces.

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Two significant campus additions include a new Student Life Center and a space that will be called the “Link”, connecting the new two-story center with the existing main building.

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STUDENT LIFE CENTER This new 46,000 sq. ft. two-story addition to the campus will add a cafeteria, sized to fit our maximum enrollment, a commercial kitchen, a competition-level gymnasium, and a training and conditioning facility to serve all of the student body. While designed to fit with the architecture and look of the historic campus facilities, the Student Life Center will help to address a critical need for space at Duchesne.

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THE LINK

CAFETERIA

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN

This exciting new feature will include a two-story connection to the new Student Life Center and will provide gathering spaces for students. The Link will provide a climate-controlled setting for students to enjoy the daylight and seasonal atmosphere as they spend time in study or social gatherings between and after classes. The glasswalled Link will provide wonderful views of the courtyard.

Of special importance is a cafeteria that will allow the students to eat lunch together. The current facilities are so small that meals are prepared and cobbled together from three different kitchens on campus. Students often have to find less than optimal spaces to share their meals and socialize.

Shared meals are part of the commitment to reflect the Christian value of “breaking bread together.”

The existing kitchen was not designed for and is not adequate to meet the demand of preparing more than 200 meals a day. The new commercial kitchen will address the school’s commitments to meet student needs for health, nutrition, and sustainability. Modern meal preparation equipment will enable us to more efficiently serve our student body

GYM 75% of Duchesne’s students are athletes. There has long been a need to upgrade athletic facilities with the addition of a competitive gymnasium with much needed space and capacity for parents, students, and fans. Along with the gym, the Student Life Center will include wellness and training spaces.

Expanded athletic facilities will complement our emphasis on health and wellness. Increasing research demonstrates the correlation between participation in sports and the emotional wellbeing of young women including higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression. Furthermore, we know that athletic participation has a positive impact on building life skills. Research suggests that those who engage in physical activity including, but not limited to, organized sports, during high school, demonstrate better time management, goal-setting, and leadership skills.

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WHY NOW? Altogether, this $43 million campaign is of historic proportions for Duchesne. Your gift makes a difference. It allows us to maintain an optimal enrollment and a genuinely diverse student body; recruit, retain and recognize our outstanding faculty; and present a campus capable of serving our students with facilities that are bold in scope and adapted to the changing world of secondary education. At the same time, these exciting new additions have been designed to complement the historic Duchesne campus.

Three main factors contribute to the urgency of the timing of this project including: 1. The rapidly evolving world that has directly influenced the priority areas in education 2. The need to improve the aging facilities in which we teach, learn, and compete 3. The evolution of our position as a destination school as the center of Omaha moves west, away from downtown

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Campaign-Related Expenses

There is an overwhelming need and urgency to update our facilities in order to educate to the standards we have and to be competitive with the demands of college preparatory education. The priority areas included in the campaign objectives help ensure that we continue to fulfill the Sacred Heart promise for our future students, enabling young women to do extraordinary things that we may not dream of today. As education evolves, the space in which we teach, learn, and exercise emotional, social, and spiritual growth has evolved. It is our call, as a school community, to provide updates to some key areas that so critically need the attention.

The final $3 million in campaign objectives are those that are a part of every major fundraising and construction initiative, the cost of fundraising and bridge financing. The campaign includes $1 million to be used for fundraising costs, which include the cost of campaign travel, materials, videos, events, recognition opportunities, and the cost of fundraising advisors. The $2 million bridge financing cost are those related to the borrowing that takes place to help fund construction while long-term pledges are paid. With careful stewardship, it is possible that less than the $3 million allocated for these two needs will be used.

Great campaigns are the result of great visions, dynamic leaders and, most importantly, the heroic engagement and philanthropy of board members, alumnae, parents, past parents, foundations, and neighbors all who share a passion for the mission. This campaign will indeed be one of historic proportions for Duchesne Academy and the young women who are served each day for years to come.

It is our bold hope that you will thoughtfully and prayerfully join us in a bold effort to position Duchesne for decades to come with a transformational multi-year pledge, a single year gift or a combination of current and planned giving through your estate. For every gift of every size, the students, faculty, and administration owe you a debt of gratitude. Each pledge and each payment will move Duchesne Academy closer to this dream. In advance, we thank you for your willingness to support Duchesne in ways we have yet to imagine.

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My vision for Duchesne Academy is to ensure that each girl receives the best education possible; we will prepare her for college, career, and life.

That every girl feels loved by all, including herself and knows without a doubt that God loves her for who she is.

She is empowered to question, and equipped to lead.

Meg Huerter Brudney, A‘83 Head of School