IMPACT Academy FAQ

 

What are impact academies?

  • Impact Academies are committed students cohorts led by faculty, staff and community partners that work together to complete meaningful work for the community. There can be multiple projects within each Academy focusing on different areas of need in the community (LJA, local, national, global). These projects can be ongoing over multiple semesters or even years, or serve a specific need that appears at any given time; additionally, sometimes an entire Academy can collaborate on a single large project.

  • The four Impact Academies for the 2025-26 school year are: Aloha ‘Āina, Global Citizenship, Peace & Pilina, and Arts & Innovation.

  • Every student will create a portfolio detailing their experiences and the work they have contributed to, which can be used for college admissions, scholarship and job applications, earning the Global Citizenship Diploma and meeting the IB requirements for Service as Action (SA) for MYP and Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) for DP.

Are Impact Academies Required?

Yes. Impact Academies are required for all students. 

Why does lja have impact academies?

The Impact Academy Program strives to:

  • Build a strong sense of community through intentionally nurtured relationships and meaningful shared work

  • Create opportunities to positively impact the world, and through doing so, foster a deep sense of kuleana and global citizenship

  • Honor diverse individual pathways to happiness and success by empowering student agency and choice

Aligning with the mission of Le Jardin Academy, students will demonstrate and embody the values and skills necessary to make a positive impact on the world.

When do Impact Academies Meet?

HS Impact Academies meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays during one hour Academy Blocks. Friday B Days (Seminar Block) will be used for the following: Town Hall meetings, guest speakers, class meetings, spirit events, additional Impact Academy meetings. Students and faculty can stick with the same Impact Academy for both Tuesday and Thursday, or join one Academy on Tuesday and a different one on Thursday.

MS Impact Academies meet on Fridays (1:45-3:15pm).

What do students do in their Impact Academy?

Each Impact Academy creates, plans and undertakes several Impact Projects characterized by significant work needed in the community (LJA, local, national, global). These can be long-term ongoing projects or they can be specialized based on the time of year or particular need that arises. When students join an Academy they select or are assigned an Impact Project and are responsible for the associated work. Students can alternate their focus on Tuesday and Thursday.

What if a student wants to do an internship or get career experience?

We support and encourage our students to pursue career based learning opportunities and internships for their Impact Projects! Students can work with the Experiential Education department to apply for internships in departments at the school or outside of it. Some of this year’s internship opportunities include being an outdoor education teacher with elementary students, a marketing intern with our Advancement team, building programs as an Experiential Ed. intern, working patient support at Castle Hospital, and being a student journalist for local news organizations.

If students are interested in an internship outside of an existing LJA partnership, they can receive permission and support for an independent, career-based learning experience.