We imagined a possibility … now we are realizing it!

At the November 2015 Brescia Ball, I had the pleasure of announcing that Ursuline Academy would undertake a Capital Campaign to raise the funds necessary to address the facility needs outlined in Phase One of the school’s Master Plan (see below), and would move forward with fundraising and financing for the construction of a new Athletic and Convocation Center. The nearly 40,000 square-foot two-story facility will stand on the highest point on campus, overlooking the athletic field, current school building, and the Convent. This project represents the largest undertaking since the school was built in 1958.

Since that announcement, we have completed the permitting process, secured a bond offering to enable us to begin construction, and on May 16, 2016, formally broke ground. Through the generosity of our Trustees, alumnae, parents and friends, we are nearing the $8 million mark in gifts and pledges toward the proposed $15 million budget for the building. However, our need for philanthropic support remains, and we ask all alumnae, parents, and friends of Ursuline to consider supporting this effort that is so crucial to the future of the Academy.

The project’s progress to date is due in large part to the loving stewardship of three Ursuline alumnae: Meg Reynolds ’82, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, and Megan Golden Hobson ‘85 and Marianne LeBlanc ‘86, co-chairs of the campaign. Both the Campaign Cabinet and the Board of Trustees have been working hand in hand for the past two and a half years to shape the vision and provide fundraising leadership to help us realize this dream.

I invite you to browse these pages to learn more: take a virtual tour of the building, see architectural renderings, view naming opportunities, and read about construction progress. At Ursuline, we challenge our students every day to reach for the Light and the Good. How can we who believe in the Academy do less? Would you consider a gift in support of this campaign? Please don’t hesitate to contact me at president@ursulineacademy.net to discuss this project in further detail.

Thank you for joining in my excitement as we help our students realize the possibilities that await them.

Very truly yours,

Rosann M. Whiting, President

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Campus Master Plan

While the Lowder Street setting is bucolic, much of the property is wetlands, making it unbuildable. Despite this limitation, the board devised the following three-phase plan:

• Phase 1: construction of the Athletic and Convocation Center. The two-story facility, complementing existing architecture, will feature new classrooms, athletic facilities, and meeting and gathering space. Its multipurpose function will greatly enhance the experience of the entire Ursuline community.
• Phase 2: renovation of the current gymnasium into a Performing Arts Center. Once the new Athletic and Convocation Center is completed, Ursuline Academy will embark on transforming the existing gym into a visually and acoustically innovative musical and theatrical space.
• Phase 3: expansion of the front façade of the school toward Lowder Street, allowing for a more beautiful and, more importantly, more secure entrance befitting a school of Ursuline’s stature.

In such tight quarters, however, these projects must be undertaken sequentially. The Athletic and Convocation Center is the first step that will allow us to expand student offerings and enhance the Ursuline experience for generations of students to come.