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The Women of Wyncote The Academic Program Wyncote Academy believes that every girl deserves to realize her full potential and puts into practice teaching strategies and approaches specifically designed to encourage young women. All of the programs at Wyncote encourage students to set higher educational goals and hold more positive attitudes about school. The smaller class size at Wyncote Academy allows young women to perceive themselves as being in control of their own choices, values, and quality of life. Programs such as the Outdoor Education Program are specifically designed to overcome traditional sex-role stereotypes. Within the structure of Wyncote Academy's unique educational environment, young women become better students who are more confident in their own abilities. The women of Wyncote are exposed to many unique and challenging educational opportunities. They learn to question what they discover and own what they know. Wyncote Academy provides a traditional co-educational curriculum influenced by the research and knowledge of what works best for girls. As a result, the curriculum presents skills and concepts in increasingly sophisticated and developmentally appropriate ways. Through a broad and diverse range of experiences, Wyncote Academy offers its girls numerous opportunities to discover their passion for learning and to develop their own voices. Young women alumni often cite the following benefits of their Wyncote Academy education:
The Women's Issues Group The Women's Issues Group is an open forum for topics facing the girls in the Wyncote Community, providing a network of interpersonal support. Facilitated by the school's counselor, the group is a welcoming space for women to meet and explore their concerns together. The group emphasizes collaborative sharing, support, and problem solving, with the belief that each group member has something important to contribute. Discussion topics have included mental health (depression, anxiety), social issues (relationships, self-assertiveness), family issues, and academic goals and concerns. The Outdoor Education Program In additional to many co-educational trips, the Outdoor Education Program also offers trips exclusively for the young women of the Wyncote community. During these unique all-girl excursions, young women experience the camaraderie of wilderness travel in the supportive company of other women. They learn to take risks and build confidence, often renewing a sense of direction and refreshing their spirits. College and Career Counseling Wyncote provides young women with a comprehensive college counseling program sensitive to their unique needs. Women from a variety of professional fields visit regularly to discuss their careers and offer insight into the realities of the professional world. College counselors are also frequent visitors. Annual school trips tour local colleges and universities, exposing the young women to opportunities available to them. Recent postgraduate fields of study for Wyncote women include environmental science, history, mathematics, photography, psychology, public health administration, and social work, among others. Recent college placements are Mount Holyoke, Rider University, Skidmore College, University of Montana, West Chester University, and Widener University. Read what alumni have to say about their experiences at Wyncote Academy in their own words... Excerpt from Commencement Address delivered by Devin Toland, Wyncote Academy Class of 2007: "The last two years of high school at Wyncote have been an amazing experience. I have never met so many diverse individuals that got along so well, even though we are all so different. Being so close with your classmates and teachers is something I never found in a large public school. I never thought that high school would ever be so hard to leave. In fact, just being able to stay in school was hard enough before I came to Wyncote. But now I am going from a school of 85 kids to West Virginia University, with a population of 30,000. This will be a huge change and it is going to be challenging. But I know that Wyncote gave me the drive to succeed and to exceed my own expectations. I have learned so much from this school and from its teachers and students. Wyncote has given me the confidence in my education and in myself that makes me who I am today." Coretta Gerould Over the years, Wyncote has been many things for me. When I first came here, it was a breath of fresh air. It was freedom. I was finally respected and treated like a person by my peers and by my teachers. I become comfortable enough at Wyncote to be myself, to figure out who I was. You let me do that! I made friends and discovered what learning should be: self-directed and fun. My natural curiosity was nurtured, not crammed into a box. I loved Wyncote and it became my home. In being treated like an adult, I learned maturity. I learned responsibility. I learned what it felt like to be respected and to respect others. I learned that it was okay to ask questions, to ask for help. I also gained confidence in my own abilities, my own answers, my own voice." Coretta Gerould recently completed her freshman year at Temple University, earning a 4.00 grade point average. Ana Getz "Sometimes, when you stumble upon a place that feels just right, you don't actually know what you're in for or just how perfect it really is. My first year in a public high school left me broken and mangled. The halls were loud and overcrowded. Classes soon became naps, my peers were people to be feared, my teachers were my enemies. Looking back, it was quite unpleasant to say the least. Wyncote was a place where I felt safe, loved, cared for. I was in awe of what I had stumbled into; I loved it. I always felt safe and free. Because of this, my time at Wyncote has given me such a strong confidence in my ability to overcome life's obstacles. I have formed life-altering friendships and accomplished more than I ever would have thought possible for myself." Ana Getz is currently attending Temple University.
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