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Who we are

Beacon Academy prepares students for higher-ed and beyond by helping them gain meaningful learning, real-world understanding, independence, and confidence. From the moment students arrive on campus they know they’re a part of something unique— a close-knit community, a personalized academic journey, and exceptional life and learning experiences. This is college prep reimagined.

AFFILIATIONS: National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS); Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS); Lake Michigan Area Independent Schools; International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), IB World School
TOTAL ENROLLMENT: Beacon Academy has 150 students in grades 9-12.
CLASS SIZE: Average class size is 12-16 students per class.
DIVERSITY: 45% of our students identify as students of color.
AFFORDABILITY: 40% of students receive need-based tuition assistance.
LOCATION: Based in Evanston, but serving students from all over the Chicagoland area, Beacon students hail from a wide range of feeder schools and zip codes. Our downtown Evanston location provides convenient access to both the Metra and the El. 60% of our families live in Chicago and 40% of our families live in West/Northwest suburbs or the North Shore.
RETENTION: Our annual retention rate is 99%.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AT BEACON:

Beacon students engage, learn by doing, and reflect on their experiences both in the classroom and in the community. Many of Beacon Academy’s core values such as civic engagement, post-secondary and career exploration, cultural awareness, leadership, and interdisciplinary learning are realized through experiential learning. This meaningful work helps students develop their intellectual curiosity and problem solving skills, practicing Maria Montessori’s principle: preparing not just for school, but for life.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
Beacon Academy offers a variety of clubs driven by students' passions, talents, and interests. Offerings include Book Club, Science Olympiad, Yearbook, Chess, Self-Care Club, Pride Club, MSA, BSU, Jewish Food & Culture, Newspaper, Interact & Serve and D&D (just to name a few!).

Students may also participate in our after-school theatre program which includes a fall play, winter musical, and spring student-directed one-acts.

Athletics are an integral part of the student experience at Beacon Academy. We are a full member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and our athletes compete in the Lake Shore Athletic League. Beacon Academy has 16 sports teams recognized by the IHSA including volleyball, cross-country, track and field, tennis, sailing, soccer, basketball and ultimate frisbee.

I-TERM & TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES:
I-Term, a one week session in October and one week in March, is designed to provide students with opportunities to build important community skills within their grade levels as well as to dive deeply into a wide range of individually chosen inter-disciplinary course offerings. Potential topics for sessions have included: Sports Psychology, Scuba Diving, History of Protest through Art, Musical Math, Slam Stories, Bass Fishing and Fundraising Fundamentals.

I-term also offers the possibility of extended travel opportunities. Past destinations have included Iceland, California, Costa Rica, France, Haiti, Morocco, New Mexico, New York, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Scotland, and Russia. For more information about I-Term, please click here.

Who we are

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