What Sets George Washington Academy Apart: Mission & Vision

As an American school in Morocco, our community brings together families from over 30 countries, a melting pot of cultures that our students absolutely love. We put a big emphasis on academic rigor, but we also weave in a multilingual environment that means your child will grow up equipped to keep pace with a world that's getting more and more interconnected. And today's blog post is all about our new mission, vision and values, and gives you a real insider's view on what makes GWA special.

Key Takeaways

Here are the things that really set us apart:

• Our Mission: GWA's mission is simple, but powerful:GWA is a multicultural community inspiring critical thinkers through academic excellence, preparing students to be lifelong learners and compassionate global citizens.

• Our Vision: Our vision is to help students develop their character, inspire them to be leaders, and make a difference by offering an American education in Morocco that really celebrates character development and academic excellence.

• Core Values: At the heart of everything we do are five core values that guide us: excellence, integrity, creativity, kindness and responsibility - all of which help us create a supportive community where students from all sorts of backgrounds can unleash their potential and become the best version of themselves.

Our Mission in Action

Our mission statement is what we do every day. Walk into a middle school classroom and you will hear students having rich, open-ended discussions with their teachers or working together on a group project. Our teachers are in fact guiding students and challenging them with questions like: “What evidence supports your view?” “How would you respond to that argument?” to encourage them to think outside the box and voice their own opinions. Students are more likely learning how to think, not just what to think.

We believe that education should be about cultivating a child’s character, too. That's why we make sure our students have plenty of opportunities to get involved in service-learning and community projects, alongside their regular studies.

In the primary school, for instance, we have a leadership team which includes students working together with the advisor teacher to develop social actions and projects aiming to create an impact within the community. In Secondary School, students design service projects, create and manage their own clubs, join local and international organizations to participate in impact-driven projects in Casablanca or abroad. In doing so, they begin to understand that learning is not separate from responsibility.

In a nutshell, success and character development are not competing priorities. They grow together. Our role is to shape capable and thoughtful students who can immerse in different cultures, listen with empathy, and contribute to the communities they call home.

Our Vision for the Future

Our vision is ambitious, because we are certain that our students can achieve greatness. We're preparing a generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers. Our vision statement says it all: "Cultivating Character, Inspiring Leadership, and Creating Impact." This vision shapes everything we do either at the academic and community level. At GWA, our students regularly demonstrate their Character through the multitude of projects they are involved in that are centered around lifting up others in the greater Casablanca and national community. There are many clothing drives, blanket drives, food drives and more throughout the school year. Our students demonstrate Leadership as they are the organizers and driving forces behind these initiatives. There is no doubt the efforts of our students Create Impact for many people well outside our GWA campus.  

Our students, in fact, have such passion in this area that we have had to “negotiate” solutions that allow for the many projects to occur in a way that is not competitive but rather complimentary. We have sat in meetings to solve for having “too many projects” that benefit the community, which is actually really incredible to think about!  SO many students wanting to do so much good for people that is a wonderful “problem” to have to solve for - a problem that is not a problem at all but rather a gift!

This is just one example of our vision coming to life. The students, staff, and families of GWA are all very special. While vision statements are meant to be future facing and aspirational, what a rare and beautiful thing to see so much evidence of Character, Leadership and Impact already happening each and every day.  

Core Values

At our school, we've got five core values that we try to live by every day: excellence, integrity, creativity, kindness and responsibility. They're the foundation of every decision we make, and the way we behave towards each other. Our students and staff are all expected to act with integrity, to be honest and have courage, and to take responsibility for their actions, because that's what builds a community that's really grounded in respect and fairness.

Excellence means trying to be the very best we can be in everything we do. Whether it's in our teaching, our sports program or just keeping our campus looking its best, excellence drives us to keep pushing ourselves and trying to do things a little better than we did last time. We encourage our students to set big goals for themselves, to have the confidence to take on challenges, and to be proud of what they achieve.

Integrity is about doing the right thing, even when it's hard. We believe that trust is built by acting with honesty and principle, and that's why we expect everyone in our community to be truthful, to uphold high standards and to take responsibility for their actions.

Creativity is all about exploring new ideas and finding new ways to do things. We want to foster imagination and original thinking in our students, so we give them plenty of opportunities to be creative - whether that's in our robotics labs, art classes or anywhere else. Creativity is what helps our students come up with new solutions to the problems they face, and to express themselves in a way that's truly their own.

Kindness is all about creating a caring and inclusive community where everyone feels valued and supported. We think that kindness is at the heart of all our relationships, and that when we're kind to one another, we build strong bonds that last a lifetime. 

Responsibility is all about being accountable and dependable. We teach our students to manage their commitments, meet deadlines and take care of the world around them. This value revolves around being a good global citizen who cares about the planet and does their part to make a difference. As parents you'll see these values manifest in all sorts of everyday moments. Teachers display respectful communication skills and students are taught to listen before spouting off with their own ideas. For instance, when we get involved in community service projects students work alongside local organisations to tackle causes they care deeply about. Through all this it's reinforced that growing as a person is just as important as getting good grades.

At George Washington Academy, our commitment to living out our core values of excellence, integrity, creativity, kindness and responsibility is really what sets the tone for everything we do. Guided by our mission to inspire critically thinking, globally aware citizens and our vision to turn out graduates eager to make a positive impact in the world, we're able to create a learning environment that lets our students really succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does GWA’s mission affect the way learning happens on a day-to-day basis?

Our mission to turn out students who can think for themselves and be kind, globally-aware citizens really seems to seep into everything we do. Students get to participate in thoughtful discussions and collaborative projects, as well as community service, that really help them grow both intellectually and personally.

How do the core values actually show up in school life?

Excellence, integrity, creativity, kindness, and responsibility are all woven into our daily routines, classroom interactions and extracurricular activities. Teachers show these values in action, and students get to put them into practice through buddy programs, service projects and team-based learning.

How does GWA balance the need to grow as a person with the pressure to do well academically?

For us, it's less about finding a balance and more about getting it all to happen together .Our service-learning, community engagement and value-driven programs all aim to foster empathy, resilience and leadership in our students. We want our students to graduate with a strong sense of who they are and how they fit into the world.