Winchester Thurston School

The
Leadership Academy is a comprehensive approach to developing leadership skills, built upon the philosophy that leadership begins with character. At its core are experiential activities that guide Middle
School students to think independently, make smart choices, collaborate, and see themselves as part of a larger world upon which they can
and should strive to have a positive impact.

Components
of the program:

Projects designed to build global or civic
engagement. Students in each grade combine community service, advocacy, and philanthropy in
a year-long project designed to support or advance a specific cause; with guidance from faculty advisors,
students develop the project throughout the year.

Outdoor
education activities focused on team-building, self-reliance, and self-awareness,
challenging  students to push their boundaries,
both physically and mentally. Several times per school year, students travel
off campus with WT faculty members for a day of Leadership Academy outdoor
activities, including ropes courses, kayaking, and hiking.

Leadership
Academy in Action: Year-long Projects

Partnering with Bricks + Books through the
organization's "sister school" program; WT students engage with students at Patandi Primary School in Tanzania.
Researching,
designing, and creating a public Holocaust Museum installation in the WT Art
Gallery, and developing educational programs in concert with the exhibit,
including a student-led symposium on the topic of genocide
 Supporting Lincoln Park Community Food Bank through a year-long relationship and
project, organizing
and running a food drive, and volunteering at the center’s pantry, which distributes food, clothing, and
medical supplies to community residents.
Building
a relationship with and providing educational resources and food for refugee
families from Prospect Park, including inviting the refugees to campus for a
day-long experience with eighth grade students

In 2004 and again in 2009, Winchester Thurston was singled out by the
Edward E. Ford Foundation for its groundbreaking City as Our Campus initiative,
which actively engages WT students in the cultural, political,
and economic life of Pittsburgh. Students develop high level critical thinking
and research skills that emphasize content mastery, lifelong learning, 21st
century skills, and entrepreneurshiManchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Carnegie Mellon University, the Carnegie Museum
of Art, the Carnegie Science Center, Fort Pitt Museum, University of Pittsburgh
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Archives of the Industrial Society, Rachel
Carson Institute, and many others.

Many schools offer field trips, but do not provide intensive, ongoing partnerships, anchored
in the best practices of experiential learning. City as Our Campus provides students
with experiences that help them cultivate and master the skills they
will need to be at the forefront of innovation.