“Bold ideas, careful planning, hard work, and, yes, even more than a little good fortune, have enabled Germantown Academy to survive era changing events from the Revolutionary War to the current economic downturn. Yet, one does not get to be 250 years old with survival skills alone. With each challenge comes opportunity, and the GA community has been remarkably adept at finding and seizing every one.”
James W. Connor 1760, Head of School
Founded first as a Union School, Germantown Academy set forth to establish an educational hub for the children of Germantown. Ever since, through the exemplary leadership of numerous committed and historic heroes of the Academy, GA has stood the test of time. Throughout, the School remained committed to her mission of fostering intellect, compassion, leadership and confidence in every student that passed through the door.
GA at 249
Germantown Academy has grown more quickly than first envisioned by the Founders in 1759 and even by the Trustee decision-makers in 1958 when they voted to leave Germantown for Fort Washington. GA at 249 has more students, faculty, programs, technology and opportunities for improvements than the current space can accommodate, even in the buildings that have been built or renovated in the last 25 years. To have outgrown a facility is a good problem to have but that is the opportunistic part of the equation. Less appealing but equally compelling is the knowledge that, with the core buildings dating back more than 45 years, infrastructure concerns, such as roof and window replacements, upgrading of the central plant, lighting and the HVAC system, are apparent.
In May 2008, the Board of Trustees enthusiastically and unanimously approved a visionary, compelling Campus Master Plan for Germantown Academy to address the need for updated and expanded facilities.
The Campus Plan is designed to fulfill five major goals:
This plan is driven primarily by our need to provide more space for our growing program and changing curriculum and to upgrade aging facilities. But, it is also driven by GA’s culture of innovation. The highlights include:
- Provide a Flexible Master Plan with a Compelling Overarching Vision
- Provide Facilities that Accommodate the Current Level of Programming
- Improve Opportunities to Expand Student-to-Student & Student-to-Faculty Interactions
- Reconnect to the Natural Environment
- Integrate Sustainable Design Practices in all Future Projects (Target LEED* Certification)
All of the buildings were studied to determine which had the structural fortitude to last the next 50 years. Based upon this study and historical significance, the decision was made to keep the original quadrangle intact, but renovate some of the buildings, while replacing those which were added in later years. Though the accomplishment of this vision will need to be phased over time on a schedule determined by available philanthropic funding, when it is finished, Germantown Academy will, once again, stand apart and stand ahead.
GA at 250
The Board and administration are sensitive to the economic times and the need to move prudently into major financial investments. At the same time, we have sensed a growing excitement about the Campus Plan. Wanting to take full advantage of this momentum, even in a down economy, the Trustees decided to move forward with two more modest portions of Phase I that will have great positive impact on the entire GA community – the Dining/Common Room renovation (summer 2009) and the building of a science-themed Lower School Playground (fall 2009) as a complement to the existing play areas.
Upgrading the Dining/Common Room’s flow patterns, décor and ambience (read “air conditioning!”) will transform our use of and appreciation for a space that has more than 1,200 visitors a day. Add in the fact that the Class of 1984, in celebration of their 25th Reunion, is taking a leadership role in funding the new Lower School science-themed playground, and, during our 250th year, the first pieces of Phase I implementation will be experienced by the entire community.
As we embark on the celebration of our historic past, it is compelling to glance also toward what lies on the road ahead for GA. The future will present continued opportunity for growth and thoughtful planning. And just as our history has shown, Germantown Academy will lead by example and always seek to benefit the students of today, and tomorrow.
*LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.