Massiah Foundation Invests in Transformational Gift to St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for Educational Innovation and Partnership
Newport Beach, CA—Massiah Foundation announces its gift to St. Margaret’s Episcopal School located in San Juan Capistrano, CA to advance its leading curriculum, instruction and innovation initiatives, particularly in digital education.
St. Margaret’s has participated in a pioneering effort with edX, a global online learning community founded by Harvard and MIT, offering advanced high school courses for students around the world through its new high school initiative.
Several months ago St. Margaret’s competed in course proposals for edX, and was one of only two high schools in the nation to be selected to participate among an impressive body of leading universities including, MIT, Boston University, Georgetown University, Rice University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Texas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Wellesley College and Davidson College.
EdX is revolutionizing educational initiatives to make university courses available at little or no cost to everyone. With edX’s newest initiative to provide college-prep and Advanced Placement (AP) courses for the nation, later this month, St. Margaret’s is delivering three of the initial twenty-six edX high school courses.
The edX courses currently offered from St. Margaret’s–Selective College Admissions, Intro. to Psychology and Advanced Spanish Language–are among the most requested subjects from EdX learners.
The naming announcement coincides with the construction of a new, state-of-the-art campus for the Maseeh Middle School designed as a flexible, dynamic dedicated space for active, collaborative and innovative teaching and learning. The new campus will open August 26, 2015, the first day of the 2015-2016 school year.
In conjunction with digital education initiatives, St. Margaret’s is constructing a new middle school. Some information about the new facility is described below:
Construction timeline: 12-months that began August 2014. Opening August 2015.
24,000-square-foot, two-story state-of-the-art education center, 17 highly flexible, technology enriched classrooms outfitted to enhance instruction and learning, adaptability for the future, abundant, interior, natural light. Centralized classes in humanities, math, science, computer-science and performing arts for students grades 6-8.
14,000 square feet of outdoor educational space, including two outdoor classrooms, courtyard, common space and amphitheater that reflects the local biome.
Design reflects curriculum and teaching advances that include leading research on learning styles and brain development, development of 21st-century cognitive skills and the unlimited possibilities and applications provided by advancing technologies.
Technology-enriched learning spaces that allow for heightened display capabilities, interactivity, connectivity and collaboration among students and teachers.
Three science laboratories for earth science, life science and physical science learning that open to outdoor classrooms and courtyard for further experimentation.
Makerspace fabrication lab that integrates the arts with the development of science, technology, engineering and math skills.
About the Massiah Foundation:
The Massiah Foundation makes philanthropic investments in educational institutions and individuals that offer opportunities to fulfill its investment philosophy. The Massiah Foundation’s investments are designed to inspire excellence in education.