April 23, 2024
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St. Bede will host three information sessions for new Science Center and Student Commons

PERU — St. Bede Academy will host three information sharing sessions to communicate the vision and details of the Legacy Project.

The Legacy Project is a multi-phase capital campaign to build and renovate facilities on the campus of the 126-year-old Catholic college preparatory high school. “The goal of the investments at Saint Bede is to provide updated and collaborative spaces to support a rigorous education that prepares our graduates for the colleges and universities they aspire to attend, for successful careers and for leadership roles in their communities,” stated Matt McGinnis, director of the Legacy Project.

All sessions will be in the theatre room of the Abbey Church on St. Bede campus. Sessions will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, Wednesday, March 1, and Thursday, March 2. The meetings are open to the public. Current or prospective students and families are encouraged to attend. The director of the Legacy Project, Matt McGinnis, a 1985 graduate of St. Bede, will lead the sessions.

The Legacy Project has four phases. All phases are being funded by the generosity of St. Bede alumni and supporters and more than $4 million has been raised since its inception. Tuition or other fees will not be increased to support the Legacy Project. Gifts in support of the Legacy Project are welcome and necessary and donors are encouraged to contact McGinnis to contribute.

St. Bede successfully completed Phase One in 2014 where the necessary upgrades to the fire life safety systems in the main school building were installed and the new Arch was constructed. Phase Two, and the focus of the information sessions, will be the north addition of a 16,000-square-foot Science Center and Student Commons. The construction timeline for Phase Two is currently in development with a goal to be completed for the 2018-19 school year. Phase Three is the construction of a Field House and renovations to the Abbot Vincent Gymnasium that will increase capacity for athletics and other extracurricular activities. Phase Four is the renovation of classrooms, offices and other essential areas of the main school building. With continued strong fundraising progress, Phases Three and Four are intended to start in May 2018 and May 2019 respectively.

“I have been involved with many building and renovation projects of the course of my 40-plus years in education. The Legacy Project plans are incredibly and absolutely necessary. This project is not about bricks and mortar ... this is about transforming St. Bede Academy in a way that allows us to better serve our students, faculty and all stakeholders. The Legacy Project is about academic excellence. I am proud to assure you that St. Bede Academy has a bright future,” stated Superintendent Ted Struck.

For further information about the Legacy Project, please contact Matt McGinnis at 480-737-4090 or Julia Yaklich at 815-250-0359.