Values & Vision
Our Mission
Girard College is a full-scholarship boarding school that fosters intellectual curiosity, social development and emotional growth in academically focused students from underserved communities. We ensure every student the opportunity and the means to achieve excellence and preparation for advanced education through purposeful academic and residential programs.
Our Core Values
Expectations for Girard students are based on our core values:
Respect. Responsibility. Integrity. Courage. Compassion.
Each of these values is supported by a set of belief statements that guide our interactions every day.
Acknowledge your feelings and those of others
Appreciate differences and display a positive attitude through challenges
Demonstrate courtesy, gratitude and thankfulness
Recognize your self-worth, while treating others with dignity and understanding
Be accountable for your decisions and actions
Be reliable and communicate with sureness
Engage in your learning and take ownership of your actions
Fulfill duties and demonstrate stewardship
Be honest and trustworthy
Do the right thing in all circumstances
Honor your commitments
Speak up for the truth and against injustices
Develop self-discipline
Persevere through adversity and remain steadfast in pursuit of your goals
Reframe setbacks as opportunities for growth
Stand up for what you believe and express self-advocacy
Be of service as a citizen of the community
Build mutually supportive relationships
Demonstrate kindness and caring toward others
Seek to understand and empathize with others
Principles of Our Community
Girard College believes that a diverse and inclusive community is a learning environment that prepares our students for the world they will face upon completion of our program. We desire a community in which a diverse population can live and work in an atmosphere of trust, understanding, appreciation, and mutual respect for each individual. We reject all prejudices, particularly those based on race, ethnicity, national origin, culture, religion, socioeconomic status, gender, learning styles, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
Strategic Plan
In 2017-18, Girard began a comprehensive Strategic Planning process that would guide our path in preparing a new generation of students for the careers of tomorrow and position the college as a leading partner for in-depth discussions of education, innovation, and community impact.
The planning process, led by the Board of City Trusts with the support of the school’s leadership team, welcomed participation from the entire Girard community.
When she joined Girard College as President in August 2018, Dr. Heather Wathington knew that it would be her job to articulate the vision of the Strategic Plan and to oversee its implementation. Throughout her first year, Wathington discussed, absorbed, and reflected on the plan and the community that would be shaped by it.
With the 2019-20 school year, Girard has begun “Navigating The Future, Anchoring Our Impact.”