Girl-Centered Education

At St. Catherine’s, we are girl centered. Every teacher, every lesson plan and every resource dollar aligns with the ways that girls learn best. We intentionally foster a culture of confidence that allows each girl to emerge as a strong, smart and confident woman.

Why All Girls?

There are many advantages in an all-girls education: enhanced leadership opportunities, instruction tailored to girls and the increased confidence and desire to succeed. Research indicates that girls who attend all-girls schools aim higher:

They report greater self-confidence and broader interests, especially as they approach adolescence.
They tend to outscore their coeducational counterparts on the SAT.
Seven out of 10 all-girls’ school graduates cite academic quality and career preparation as the major benefits of a girls'-school education.
Girls' school graduates are three times more likely than their coed peers to consider pursuing a career in engineering and more than twice as likely to earn a doctoral degree.

*Information provided by the International Coalition of Girls' Schools and the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute

Why All Girls at St. Catherine's?

List of 6 items.

For girls, relationships are paramount.

We get to know each and every girl, and we foster a community that respects and celebrates each girl. We intentionally structure the daily schedule and classroom interactions to encourage relationship building, collaboration and hands-on learning.
Our faculty are experts in girls’ education.

They know that girls and boys learn differently, and they’ve done their homework on the latest research about gender differences in brain development which informs their teaching. All new faculty members complete professional training specifically focused on teaching girls.
Girls need to know “why."

Since girls possess a natural inclination for purpose in everything that they do, we intentionally weave relevance into all aspects of teaching and learning. By doing so, girls develop a deeper connection to the subject matter that leads to higher-order thinking, analysis and the application of knowledge.
The verbal side of the brain develops faster in girls.

To capitalize on girls’ natural propensity toward reading and languages, we go beyond teaching English literacy to our youngest girls by introducing them to Mandarin Chinese and Spanish at an early age. Even the way in which we teach mathematics and problem-solving leverages language skills. It’s one more way that girls learn to articulate their ideas with confidence.
Girls love choices.

By giving a girl choices, she dives deeper into exploration that fuels future passions. We offer our students countless opportunities to explore, learn and grow across all divisions and all disciplines.
Female role models are essential.

A network of more than 5,100 alumnae across the globe stay connected to their alma mater providing mentorship opportunities and sharing their career experiences during annual Upper School Career Day. In addition, we bring experts and innovators to campus and into our classrooms to interact with and inspire our students. And with 100 percent of the leadership positions held by girls, our students quickly learn that there are no barriers to what they can achieve.