The Chicago Academy for the Arts

[EduCativ]

The Chicago Academy for the Arts is a nationally recognized independent high school for the performing and visual arts. The Academy offers students the opportunity to engage in a unique co-curricular program: rigorous, college-preparatory academic classes and professional-level arts training in the context of distinctive school culture. The Academy's school day consists of six 45-minute academic periods followed by a three-plus hour immersion in a student's chosen arts department: Dance, Media Arts (filmmaking, animation, creative writing), Music, Musical Theatre, Theatre, and Visual Arts. At The Chicago Academy for the Arts, young artists master the skills necessary for academic success, critical thought, and creative expression.
Students come to The Academy from various backgrounds: some have had years of training, others are exploring a newly discovered passion. Some come from the city of Chicago; others commute from the suburbs or beyond. Some spend all four high school years at The Academy others join the community later on in their academic careers. No matter their background, these students are united by a profound passion for the arts.
While The Academy is famous for its arts programs, our academic coursework is just as powerful. Students engage deeply in courses designed to develop critical thinking skills across various subjects, including Women's Literature, AP Computer Science, Global Affairs, Business, and the Arts, World Religions, AP Statistics, Philosophy, and many more.
Realizing that their Academy education opens a variety of doors for them beyond high school, nearly 1/3 of Academy alums pursue non-arts paths after graduation, from business to physics to computer science and everything in between. Alums include entrepreneurs, attorneys, Ph.D.'s, physicists, and other professionals in a wide variety of careers.
We often say that there is nothing more important here than in our community. Academy students and faculty alike are characterized by their passion, a sense of purpose, and pursuit of excellence, and thus everyone at The Academy is deeply invested in being here. (In fact, for decades, the most common word used to describe The Academy is "home.") It is a special privilege to be surrounded, every day, by peers and mentors who have decided to be a part of this place. Our students are never at The Academy, they are The Academy, and that identity eliminates so much of what is typically negative about the high school experience.
Curiosity, discipline, focus, determination: these qualities are essential to artists and are honed not only in the studio but also in the classroom. At The Academy, you will find AP and Honors courses, dedicated teachers, and high academic standards engaging our students' distinctly creative minds. The Academy's academic program is built upon core studies in Humanities (English, Social Studies, and World Languages), Mathematics, and Science.
For nearly four decades, students at The Chicago Academy for the Arts have combined their capacity for imagination with a sense of purpose to create a stunning body of meaningful work and a community where young people thrive. Our unique educational model is transformational yet straightforward. The Academy's rigorous academic program and immersive, pre-professional arts training — in the context of a world-class educational culture — prepare our students for an incredible variety of paths beyond high school.

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