Sue Samuelson

Mounds Park Academy

For 40 years, Mounds Park Academy has engaged students in a rigorous college-preparatory experience that cultivates dreamers and doers. Our academic program is demanding, but not draining, and goes far beyond memorization. Students are challenged to apply their understanding to stir the human spirit, stand for justice, and shake the world. This is what we call rigor with purpose and it grounds our students in the radical idea that their identity in the world is not measured by a test score, but by the depth and decency of their impact on the world. MPA students dream big, roll up their sleeves, and take risks to build their creative confidence. They apply the principles of design thinking to create real-world solutions. Extraordinary access to the latest technology allows them to transform the wildness of their imagination into inspiration for others. Students are encouraged to question the answers and by doing so, they find confidence in their voices and are ready and willing to speak. At MPA, our educational experience is designed to inspire and energize. Students of all ages feel great about school and treat each other with respect. They develop meaningful, collaborative relationships across grade levels. Students are self-directed, internally motivated, and as proud of their own accomplishments as they are of their classmates'. Only through this type of positive, supportive community are students able to discover who they are meant to be.