vision and leadership Pilot Emphasis Program Prompts Cultural Shift at NDA As the world grows increasingly complex and connected, NDA faculty are continually adapting their curriculum and methods to prepare young women to be tomorrow’s leaders. Currently in its pilot year, the new Emphasis Program reimagines the high school experience by supporting and expanding NDA’s excellent curriculum with unique learning opportunities in and outside of the classroom.
Beauvy directs the symposium, a community-wide conversation with a common theme. The perspective Ms. Beauvy developed through her visual arts, advertising, education and international experience informs her approach, and she encourages students to develop skills to express themselves, successfully navigate contemporary society, and understand their communities through the study of art, design, photography, film, and art history.
Through a combination of inquiry, experiential learning, and communitywide symposia, our unique Emphasis Program challenges students to grow as they gain deeper knowledge of the world around them, develop passions, and try to solve real-world problems.
In his efforts to guide the Emphasis Program’s academic component, Mr. Guardado focuses on creating educational experiences and spaces that reward curiosity, celebrate innovation, and encourage collaboration. He has spent nearly 10 years implementing, managing, and facilitating educational programs at the Norton Simon Museum, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and LACMA. Mr. Klier works directly with teachers to develop units to infuse these skills and concepts into every course over four years of curriculum. In addition to master’s degrees in English and library science, he relies on his extensive education experience at the college level.
Four expert teachers lead the program’s development and bring more than four decades of education experience: Sophia Beauvy, Manny Guardado, Bob Klier, and Oscar Navarro, each of whom manages one of the program’s key pillars. Ms.
6
Notre Dame Academy
“The symposium is a year-long space in which the NDA community can learn, converse, and act upon the important issues and ideas that we face,” said Ms. Beauvy. “It seeks to encourage curiosity, deep learning and critical analysis across the campus and supports our students’ journey through the Emphasis Program by mirroring a sustained inquiry.”
“Our primary goal of the program is to make a cultural shift at NDA in which students are experiencing an approach to education that enables them to look at academics through the context of real world challenges,” said Mr. Guardado. “It’s a community effort that will integrate gradual changes into every facet of the NDA experience.”
