Realize the Possibilities

Capital Campaign

Groves Academy has completed Phase I and II of a two-part building project designed to provide an even more rich and fulfilling experience for every Groves student and community member who participates in the outreach programs.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, Phase I, a major building renovation completed in August of 2009, improved an already fine array of student services. New facility and technological enhancements now strengthen student learning, foster students’ talents, instill a deeper sense of school community and pride, and expand resources to the greater Twin Cities community.

In July of 2009, The Andreas Family generously continued the campaign momentum by pledging $1million to name the Groves Post-Secondary (GPS) program. Groves is very grateful for their generosity!

Mortenson Construction finished Phase 2 of the building project in November of 2010. This new construction cost $2 million.  The long hours of construction have certainly paid off, and Mortenson, DJR Architects, and all of the sub-contractors are to be congratulated and thanked.  It was a tremendous team effort.

There were several driving forces for the building project.  First, there is more demand for the day-school than space available. The Board of Trustees and Groves staff agreed that the program should be made available to as many students as possible.  The construction allowed Groves to add eight classrooms—five academic classrooms and three elective classrooms (a ceramic studio, an audio-visual recording studio, and a health classroom). This ultimately will allow 40 additional students to attend Groves, bringing enrollment to 240 students.
  

The elective classes are important additions. While the primary reason students attend Groves is to close the gap between their potential and their day-to-day school performance, they also have talents in music, art, theater, athletics, and project-based learning. It is Grove Academy's belief that it is very important to identify those talents and cultivate them.

Another major benefit of the construction project was the addition of a new dining hall and kitchen and an attached student center on the north end of the building. Above this area sits a beautiful new multi-media center and library. These new spaces are the heart and soul of the school and receive daily use from the students and community we serve.

Yet another change involved improving the safety of students, faculty, and visitors. The parking lot has been redesigned and rebuilt centering on an improved drop-off / pick-up area.  Not only are students safer, but parents are able to more efficiently drop-off and pick-up their children. The landscaping surrounding the new parking area also is a vast improvement to what existed previously.

Finally, as part of this capital campaign, laptops were issued for each middle and upper school student for use during the school year, and interactive white boards are now present in all of the classrooms. These advances in technology have tremendously helped our students close the gap between potential and skill levels and have better prepared them for the technological world of tomorrow.

For more details, John Alexander, Head of School, or Lani McCollar, Major Gfits Director are happy to meet with you if you have an interest in making a long-term investment in this project. 

A very generous family of Groves initially provided  a challenge to raise $1,500,000 for the building project. That match was reached in the first phase of the project thanks to many generous donors. The total cost of Phase 1 and 2 is $7.1million. Funds needed to complete the goal are $2.7 million.  These new projects are being funded completely separate from tuition. In fact, the increased enrollment resulting from several new classrooms has already created financial flexibility that will help keep Groves day-school tuition in check. 

The Board of Trustees and Groves Faculty and Staff are grateful for all the students and families who make Groves Academy the school and community outreach center that it has become, and feel very fortunate to be able to strengthen Groves Academy with these exciting and energizing projects.   

John Alexander
Head of School
alexanderj@grovesacademy.org
952-915-4257

Lani McCollar
Major Gifts, Director

mccollarl@grovesacademy.org
952-915-4295