Mounds Park Academy

For 35 years, Mounds Park Academy has engaged students in a rigorous college-preparatory experience that cultivates dreamers and doers. Our academic program is demanding, but not draining, and goes far beyond memorization. Students are challenged to apply their understanding to stir the human spirit, stand for justice, and shake the world. This is what we call rigor with purpose and it grounds our students in the radical idea that their identity in the world is not measured by a test score, but by the depth and decency of their impact on the world.

MPA students dream big, roll up their sleeves, and take risks to build their creative confidence. They apply the principles of design thinking to create real-world solutions. Extraordinary access to the latest technology allows them to transform the wildness of their imagination into inspiration for others. Students are encouraged to question the answers and by doing so, they find confidence in their voices and are ready and willing to speak.

At MPA, our educational experience is designed to inspire and energize. Students of all ages feel great about school and treat each other with respect. They develop meaningful, collaborative relationships across grade levels. Students are self-directed, internally motivated, and as proud of their own accomplishments as they are of their classmates'. Only through this type of positive, supportive community are students able to discover who they are meant to be.

Educational journeys only happen once. The challenge parents face is making sure their children are on the right path, one that guides them in the best direction and allows them to follow their successes—and find lessons in failure. At Mounds Park Academy, we believe that the best educational path is one that instills passion for knowledge and equips children to improve our world.

At MPA, we embrace every child. We celebrate differences and guide children on journeys to discover who they are truly meant to be. Academics are central, but there’s much more to an MPA education. Athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular activities—children pursue it all here, discovering their own unique amazing.

MPA offers a rigorous education with purpose in a creative, hands-on, engaging environment that ensures students find joy in learning. Far more meaningful than memorization, children gain deep understanding and the ability to apply their knowledge across multiple disciplines in innovative ways.

Children have opinions, emotions, and ideas. At MPA, we encourage free expression. In fact, we expect it. Respectful discourse and critical thinking prepare young minds for college, careers, and life. When children gain the confidence and courage to challenge status quo, they become equipped to make a positive impact on our world.

MPA is a welcoming community built on shared values. Small classes and a connected community create the best learning environment for all children. At MPA, we know and understand each child, and our teachers and students treat each other with kindness and respect. At MPA, we move, we play, we dream, we do. We embrace wonder and creativity. We roll up our sleeves and get dirty. MPA students venture outside, around the corner, and across the world, to explore real-world topics.

We teach students to think independently, communicate effectively, and act with respect and integrity in a diverse community that models intellectual ambition, global responsibility, and the joy of learning. Not only has the student body flourished, but the campus has as well. MPA expanded its facilities with the addition of the Lansing Center, a four-court sports center, more than a dozen new Upper School classrooms and science labs, and a student commons. The fall of 2017 will bring a state-of-the-art Makerspace to the heart of the school. From its inception through today, MPA has provided rigorous learning opportunities for students in a nurturing environment, establishing itself as a top-tier college-preparatory school in the Twin Cities.

At every grade level, MPA fosters a spirit of innovation that fuels creative thinking and allows students to experience the joy of learning. The academic environment is individualized and challenging, but not overly competitive. Teachers emphasize collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and deep understanding over rote memorization, creating active and engaging learning opportunities with real-world applications. We dive deep into content, always attempting to answer the “Why.”