For 100 years, Concord Academy has nurtured the purposeful collaboration and creative engagement that allow students to better understand themselves and do good in the world.

CA’s continuing evolution would not be possible without the foresight and partnership of volunteer leaders and the support from the CA community. Thoughtful planning and generous, bold commitments have brought Concord Academy to this moment. By investing in the endowment and the Centennial Arts Center, we will realize the decades-long dream of expanding CA’s creative spaces and learning opportunities, and deliver the program that all students and faculty deserve.

The Centennial Arts Center will be an axis of exploration and inspiration, encouraging innovation and invigorating a program known for ingenuity. The Centennial Campaign co-chairs offered personal reflections on the importance of this project. Here is what they shared:

When I was a student, CA helped me to see myself as an individual who had something unique to offer. My teachers’ belief in me showed me that anything was possible. This is something extraordinary that CA still does today—accepting each student, helping them see themselves as they are as well as imagine who they can become. 

The Centennial Arts Center advances our mission to support students in their own self-discovery. This isn’t about a building. The building is just the shell for everything that happens inside. It is integral to how we use our campus and make the most of all of our spaces. This center adds dimension and new opportunities for how we use our space. Every student experiences the arts at CA, either as a required class or through personal desire to explore music, performance, theater, dance, or visual art. Every student will use this space, and everyone will benefit. 

The Centennial Campaign is a phase in a continuum of development and growth. Creating the Moriarty Athletic Campus, building the CA Labs science center, renovating the student houses—these have all been discrete phases, and investing in the arts is the logical, natural thing for the school to do next. 

The need is pressing. We can’t reach our future without meeting this challenge now.

Some of our family’s happiest memories were made here. This school celebrates each student for who they are and what makes them unique. My children felt accepted and inspired to challenge themselves without fear of judgment. Each one brought his or her unique interests to CA and developed new creative dimensions of themselves in the arts. That’s what CA does so well. 

The new Centennial Arts Center is something that I have felt CA has needed for a long time. It will allow the faculty to introduce new classes and programs that they have not had room or facilities for. This also means that the curriculum can be broadened. Our teachers are doing a remarkable job operating within current confines, and our students are flexible and understanding when they have to develop workarounds. But the truth is, they shouldn’t have to. Every time energy is spent to work in a space that is restrictive, we are hindering ourselves from reaching our potential. 

Making this overdue investment in the performing arts will show the students who are currently here, as well as students we hope to attract, how seriously CA takes creativity. 

Investing in the Centennial Arts Center will make a decades-long vision a reality and ultimately unlock the creative potential for the widest range of students imaginable.

The technology that connects today’s students is incredibly isolating. The arts teach CA students to be fully aware and present in the moment, to connect intentionally with others in a specific time and space. That’s critically important. These skills are vital for all students to learn, whatever they go on to do. 

We know the arts play a vital role in shaping each CA student. So if we profess how core the arts are to Concord Academy, we must be committed to supporting this center and making it happen. 

As a parent, I got more involved with CA to be closer to the community that shaped my kids during highly influential years of growth and identity development. Once I was here, I came to appreciate CA on a whole new level, and I also began to feel responsible for its continued success. So many people before us have given of their time, money, and talent to ensure that Concord Academy delivers a transformative educational experience. Just as my kids benefited from CA Labs, every CA student benefits from the generosity of past investment. I want to encourage others to see their role in the stewardship of this remarkable school. 

If we believe in CA and what it can do for students, we have an obligation to pay it forward for future generations.

From the moment we first visited CA in 2011, we felt at home. CA’s school culture is so caring and warm, and as international parents, we felt confident knowing that children are living and learning in an environment of empathy and common trust. I am deeply grateful to CA for providing a nurturing and healthy community for young international students to develop and grow. 

The Centennial Arts Center is not just for actors and musicians. It will give every student the chance to be on stage, to showcase their individual talents while they develop their imagination and relationship-building skills. Today’s world needs global leaders who are compassionate, diverse, and innovative, which results in greater understanding. Generating ideas isn’t easy, but the skills the arts teach allow students to bring ingenuity, teamwork, and creativity to anything they pursue in life. 

When we got involved in supporting the school, CA really paid attention to our opinions and made us feel valued. The caring and support is mutual. We feel closer, we understand each other better, and we are part of positive, meaningful outcomes. 

As an institution, CA is unique because it always strives to change and improve. It is rewarding to see and be a part of that growth.

Campaign Priorities

Developed by school leadership and CA’s Board of Trustees, the Concord Academy Centennial Campaign has two clear priorities:

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