EF Academy Pasadena

EF Academy is a private day and boarding high school offering highly individualized, hands-on, project-based learning to a community of students from 30+ nationalities. The school first opened the doors to its 16-acre campus in 2022 and will have its first graduating class this year. It offers a sports program complete with a new gymnasium and a sand volleyball court, as well as an e-sports team for competitive online gaming.  Students can pursue interests such as robotics, performing and visual arts, model UN and cultural clubs such as language exchange. EF Academy also has campuses in New York and Oxford, England. 

Tell us about project-based learning.

EF Academy believes in mastery of skills rather than memorization of facts. Research shows that students understand their academic subject more deeply when they can participate in hands-on learning. Competency and project-based learning are at the center of each class we teach. Our field study program takes students outside the classroom to learn more deeply about a subject they are studying in class. 

How does EF Academy celebrate diversity?

EF Academy offers local students the opportunity to study abroad from home while offering international students the chance to immerse themselves in a global community with classmates from over 30 nationalities. Students’ classes and activities are opportunities for them to expand their worldview with multiple perspectives while sharing their own culture and traditions with their peers. Our annual culture fair, organized by students, showcases aspects of their cultures to the broader school community.

In what ways does your school focus on global issues and inspire students to become active citizens?

Our signature program, Innovation and Impact, allows students to design meaningful, community-driven projects that align with one of 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students participate in the program each year they are on campus. Through these projects, students work in multicultural teams to come up with a game-changing solution and build real prototypes—all while being mentored by teachers from the disciplines most able to help the ideas succeed.