Discovery, exploration, and inquiry are encouraged at St. James Academy. Administrators and teachers foster each child’s love of learning and encourage their creativity all while trying to protect their innocence and curiosity.

One of the milestones of the St. James Academy’s Eighth Grade experience is the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program’s Community Project. This student-led initiative provides our eighth grade students an opportunity to be contributing members of society. The Community Project focuses on community and service, encouraging students to explore their right and responsibility to implement service in the community. This gives students an opportunity to develop awareness of challenges and address needs in various communities.

Eighth grader, Emily Schuster, used a 3D printer to create prosthetic hands for a program called Enabling The Future (E-nable). E-nable is a community of professionals, parents, students, and philanthropists who have come together to collaborate ways on how to assist people in need with 3D printable designs for hands and arms. These designs and 3D prints are for those who were born with missing fingers or have lost missing fingers due to war, disease or natural disaster. “I decided to 3D print prosthetic hands for E-nable because it touches me that I could be able to change a disaster victim’s life using my knowledge of technology and disaster response,” said Emily. At an early age, St. James Academy students are challenged to identify problems and create meaningful solutions.