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 five Impact Academies for the 2024-25 school year are: Communications and Relations, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Health and Wellbeing, Ko’olaupoko Stewardship, and Peace Justice and Civic Engagement.

  • 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. 

When do Impact Academies Meet?

HS Impact Academies meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays during Academy Block (2:25-3:30). 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 Wednesday (1:35-2:55pm).

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.