The WA community envisioned its future here Friday, outlining a path to excellence by creating the framework for a new five-year strategic plan.

The result was an emerging vision and common goals that will enable the Academy to continue its success for generations. It is now up to the Worcester Academy Board of Trustees to refine those elements and to present them to the full community.

The Academy's Strategic Planning Symposium, held in Daniels Gym on Jan. 18, was attended by more than 200 people, including faculty and staff, students and parents, alumni, members of the Board of Trustees, friends of the Academy, and community members and leaders.

Head of School Dexter Morse praised the participants and expressed enthusiasm for the planning process, which got underway last September.

"I am very excited that this process will continue to move Worcester Academy to further greatness, and that it will assure a bright future for our students and our school well into the 21st century," Mr. Morse said.

STRATEGIC ISSUES

The Symposium, sponsored by the Board of Trustees, gave every segment of the WA family an opportunity to help shape the vision for WA's strategic plan and to draft goals addressing identified strategic issues.

The strategic issues - identified through surveys, focus groups, and other gatherings - are:

* Diversity, Inclusivity and Equity
* Educational Excellence
* Environmental Planning and Facilities Development
* Financial Sustainability and Advancement
* Marketing and Communications

A final report on the vision and goals produced at the Symposium will be released soon.

MISSION AND CORE VALUES

In addition to crafting a vision and goals, members of the Worcester Academy community recently developed a mission statement, as well as a core values statement, to help guide facilitators through the process.

The mission is as follows:

"Worcester Academy exists to instill in its students the desire to learn throughout life, to engage passionately with the world around them, and to be honorable persons of strong and resourceful character."

The core values are honor, respect, community, personal growth, and challenge.

"We are a community–curious, thoughtful, generous, and thriving in our diversity," reads the Core Value Statement. "We embrace each of our core values as essential to the mission of Worcester Academy and as testimony of our beliefs and commitments."

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

Head of School Dexter Morse announced in September that Worcester Academy had hired the Center for Strategic Planning to help the school develop its new strategic plan. The Center is the nation's premier independent school consultant on strategic planning.

Christina Drouin, executive director of the Center, has steered the WA process, along with Head of School Morse, Trustee President Jim Pietro '81, Associate Head of School Antonio Viva, and Alumni Council chair Sarah Pulsifer '91. The process is expected to be concluded by May.

Once completed, the new plan will offer a five-year roadmap for success that replaces the strategic plan unveiled in 2001.

The new plan will build upon the many solid successes of the last 10 years, including the renovation of several Academy buildings and the construction of Rader Hall and New Balance Fields.

A $31.5 million capital campaign, completed in 2003, supported those and other Academy endeavors, including goals focused on growth of the endowment and faculty salaries, diversity, curriculum, and taking full advantage of Worcester Academy's urban location.