Army Navy Academy
Posted by Bill Baer
on May 06, 2016
Carlsbad Rotary’s own Lisa Basista is the Dean of Academics at Army and Navy Academy. Lisa introduced Cadet Josh Rutledge and Athletic Director Byrd Milic, who joined her to present the evening’s program.
Located right here in Carlsbad, ANA is a private military school with a JROTC program. ANA currently has 268 students, all boys. Typically, about a third are international students.
Cadets are educated to a set of core values that shape all aspects of life. Honesty, integrity, respect, responsibility, compassion, and gratitude are the cornerstones. The college preparatory curriculum is catered to the ways that boys learn best. Interactive lessons, small class sizes, personal attention, and formal leadership training motivate each Cadet to reach his full potential. The combination – leadership education, a college-prep curriculum, and the commitment to teaching in the ways that boys learn best – all adds up to create The Warrior Experience.
Lisa’s presentation explained the brain science behind how boys learn and how the Academy utilizes brain science to design teaching and learning. The school is named a Gurian Model School and is one of only 10 in the country. This designation is given in recognition of outstanding efforts in single gender strategies. For example, knowing that many boys favor movement and competition, teachers often include these activities in their lessons.
Cadet Josh Rutledge, a senior at ANA, spoke of his 5-year journey at the school and said that it had “changed his life.” He informed us of the many support programs the school offers boys. Josh is a Senior Leader at the school and will be attending UC Riverside in the fall.
The presentation concluded with Athletic Director Byrd Milic who briefly explained how ANA emphasizes the importance of teamwork and effort.