Woodward is a place where your child can study Gauguin and golf, Copernicus and coding, rhetoric and robotics--all in one day. It's about creating your own path within a truly diverse community and under the guidance of caring faculty, coaches, counselors, mentors, and advisors. It’s about the resources and opportunities of a college, but the intimacy and attention of home.
Every child's education is a unique expedition, a decades-long journey of growth and enlightenment that twists and turns through paths both charted and uncharted. At Woodward, we provide the compass.
You won’t find boring recitations, half-hearted memorizations, or traditional lecture-style instruction here. Our classrooms are full of kids who are as eager and excited as their teachers, creating a dynamic atmosphere where every student’s voice matters. Learning to discuss, disagree, collaborate, and communicate gives your kids the tools to succeed in college and beyond.
All people learn differently. Some do best with a highly structured course of learning, while others learn through play and hands-on, sensory experiences. At Woodward, both the second grader who wants to learn everything they can about the environment and the 11th grader who wants to compose their own piece of music will receive personalized instruction and encouragement. For kids who may struggle with mild to moderate learning differences, our specialized Transition Program teaches to their learning preferences, using the same curriculum taught by different methods to help kids master the skills necessary to progress on their educational journey.
There’s nothing like the feeling of a big win, and our War Eagles know it well, winning nearly 140 state and regional championships since 2002, and yet, winning isn’t the main focus at Woodward. Coaches teach students to compete, support one another, and win and lose with character and honor--because we believe that when our athletes become good sports on the field, they become good sports in life.
We know a healthy, active body and early understanding of competition and play are integral to healthy brains and happy kids. That’s why our younger students enjoy daily PE and dance twice a week, with the opportunity to play an array of intramural sports and take yoga, fencing, and more. And these same students continue on to become championship-winning War Eagles on our 69 athletic teams and 18 varsity sports.
When it comes to the performing arts, Woodward is proud to be among the best in the state. From developing the courage to take on the spotlight, to meeting the physical demands of performance, to working tirelessly to perfect the crafts of music, dance, acting, and more, our performing arts students put in enormous work, but manage to make it look easy--a lesson that will come in handy time and time again across the course of their lives. This is in part due to award-winning instructors who guide students every step of the way, from the perfect plie in ballet rehearsal to finally getting that F-sharp in band practice.
Just try and not be inspired!
Like our deliberate embrace of diversity and global connections, our commitment to service runs throughout the Woodward experience. There’s a flipside to our students having the highest-quality education with every opportunity and resource available to them--it means our kids also are privileged within our local and global community.
We know Woodward kids are ready for the world because our network of more than 10,000 alumni prove it to us every day. Breezing through the comparatively “easy” college course loads, heading up their own labs and starting their own businesses before even entering“the real world,” serving in public office, writing masterpiece novels, solving the engineering problems of tomorrow--Woodward alumni are in every corner of the world, living every version of success. But they all have one thing in common: their unique path to success was created at Woodward Academy. And like their Woodward peers, they are prepared and ready for the next challenge.
"Woodward has a standard of excellence, a focus on building personal character, and an emphasis on accomplishing your goals that we really benefited from. It was also a great place to form friendships and be exposed to other great families that helped shape us. Woodward was, is, a huge part of our lives."– Howard Hsu '95 and Anita Hsu, '98
Restarauteurs
"I loved the newspaper and the literary magazine, and the publications office felt like the heart of the school in many ways."
- Roshani Chokshi '09
Published Author
"It was one of the best feelings in the world to make it to the Super Bowl. I wouldn't mind doing it again someday, but I know it's an opportunity that only comes around so many times in your career, if you are lucky," he said. "Some guys have been playing for 10 or 15 years and haven't had the chance to get to the Super Bowl."
- Juwan Thompson '10
Running Back
Denver Broncos
"I sat there and was mesmerized, watching the director on the crane swooping down with the cameras. That was my first time being bitten by the [film] bug. That was an experience I got because of Woodward."- Scott Budnick '95
Film Producer
Founder, Anti-Recidivism Coalition
"What Woodward taught me is that it is important to put your best foot forward, not someone else's best foot. You can be tremendously successful by recognizing your unique strengths and not trying to imitate somebody else."- Erin Cochran '00
Vice President, Communications
World Food Program USA
“I can easily attribute all of my successes in life to my well-rounded foundation at Woodward, a place that molds a young person’s interest in a variety of ways. The high expectations at Woodward help young people with the challenges they will face in life.” – William Burton Jones '98
State Senator
“The foundation that Woodward provided benefits me every day. The exceptional teachers who developed potential in me that I didn’t see in myself, along with many opportunities to broaden my horizons, fostered the confidence that is a cornerstone of my success.” – Mary Moore '87
Owner, Cooks Warehouse
"I am grateful for the cultural diversity that existed at Woodward. Not only was the student demographic diverse; our education was thoughtful and reflective of the world at large." – Dr. Nguyenvu "Winston" Nguyen '90
Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon
