Whether a toddler or a college student, new educational challenges should always be welcome. See below for the new programs that a few of the Valley’s local institutions are offering.
 |
Capri Cosmetology
39 N. Plank Rd., Newburgh. 845-563-3090
251 West Rte. 59, Nanuet. 845-623-6339; www.caprinow.com
What does your school offer that differentiates it from others?
Capri is the only cosmetology school in the Rockland, Westchester, and Orange County areas certified to teach MUD Beauty Essentials. Incorporating it into our 600-hour Esthetics program allows additional opportunities to provide the best possible education for our students. We believe that developing well-rounded graduates is key to passing state boards and imperative in preparing them for successful careers. For more information on our Esthetics and Cosmetology programs, please call our Admissions Department today: 845-623-6339 (Nanuet) or 845-563-3090 (Newburgh).
 |
Darrow School
110 Darrow Rd., New Lebanon
518-794-6000; www.darrowschool.org
What does your school’s academic curriculum focus on?
Darrow’s active curriculum is an innovative approach to teaching that empowers students to research and analyze real-world problems, and to develop practical, applicable solutions. Student work is hands-on and community-focused, emphasizing the value of collaboration, communication, and social intelligence in their relationship to others, even as they work independently. Through differentiated and personalized instruction, Darrow students have a voice in their own education, learning through self-discovery and acquiring the 21st-century problem-solving and project-management skills sought by colleges and employers.
 |
Dutchess Community College
53 Pendell Rd., Poughkeepsie
845-431-8000; www.sunydutchess.edu
How would you describe your school’s teachers?
​Dutchess Community College is known for having an outstanding faculty committed to student success. Professors know students by name, interact with them both in and out of the classroom, and foster the college’s supportive and engaging environment.
A recent DCC graduate who went on to study neuroscience at Binghamton University said, “The passion my professors had for their respective fields, and for teaching, connected me to my education in a new way.”
 |
Dutchess Day School
15 Rte. 343, Millbrook
845-677-5014; www.dutchessday.org
What does your school offer that differentiates it from others?
At Dutchess Day School, we understand that not all children learn the same way. It is impossible to pigeonhole the school as either “progressive” or “traditional.” Teachers design curricula — including enrichment opportunities from field trips to special projects — to reach every child and every learning style. It’s fun for third graders to learn about westward expansion by reading and writing about it; playing interactive games on the computer; creating small, fully-stocked covered wagons; and having a day dedicated to the Gold Rush during which students pan for “real gold” (seeded all over campus by the teacher), weigh, measure, sell, and buy.
 |
Faith Christian Academy
25 Golf Club Ln., Poughkeepsie
845-462-0266; www.faithchristianacademy.org
What is your institution’s goal for its students besides providing an academic education?
An education at Faith Christian Academy not only prepares students for college — it prepares them for life. At FCA, we seek to create socially conscious, mission minded individuals who are not afraid to put their faith into action. Our students are leaders who understand that an education at FCA ultimately empowers them to go out into the world and be ambassadors for Christ.
 |
Green Meadow Waldorf School
307 Hungry Hollow Rd., Chestnut Ridge
845-356-2514; www.gmws.org
What is your institution’s goal for its students besides providing an academic education?
Green Meadow Waldorf School is one of the largest and oldest Waldorf schools in North America. A 65-year-old independent school that adheres to a unique and time-tested curriculum, our students are free to learn without the pressure and stress of standardized testing. Green Meadow strives to create a social, cultural, and learning environment that nurtures the physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities of the growing child through a developmentally appropriate curriculum, enabling graduates to become self-reliant, generous individuals, capable of meeting whatever challenges they face in the future.
 |
Hoosac School
14 Pine Valley Rd., Hoosick
518-686-7331; www.hoosac.org
What does your school offer that differentiates it from others?
Hoosac School is recognized for providing students with an education that is energized by our student-centric curriculum. Students recognize learning can be fun because they don’t feel trapped by the pressure of common core. We offer an education that is quantified by our extensive course offerings, students’ average GPA, college matriculation list, and SAT scores.
The most valuable part of a Hoosac experience, our culture, can’t be quantified. Contact our admission office to learn more!
 |
Immaculate Heart Academy
500 Van Emburgh Ave., Township of Washington, NJ
201-445-6800; www.ihanj.com
What does your school’s academic curriculum focus on?
Immaculate Heart Academy seeks young women who are willing to undertake a serious college preparatory curriculum in an atmosphere characterized by respect for the individual and Christian community. With the introduction of our accelerated STEM program, students are encouraged to use world language, social studies, language arts, and science to understand the world they live in; math and technology to harness, chronicle, and make sense of that information; and critical thinking skills to engineer solutions for the betterment of the human experience. IHA’s goal is to remain at the cutting edge of the most recent technological advances, and our programs and state-of-the-art facilities continue to aid in that mission.
 |
Kennedy Catholic High School
54 Rte. 138, Somers
914-232-5061; www.kennedycatholic.org
What is your institution’s goal for its students besides providing an academic education?
Kennedy Catholic provides young men and women a rich high school experience that seeks the fullest development of mind, body, and spirit. In pairing a traditional, faith-based education with contemporary courses delivered via state-of-the-art technology such as iPads and the Black Board online learning management system, the highly qualified faculty make good on the Kennedy mission to “prepare our students to take their place in the world as articulate and well-informed Christian men and women.”
 |
Maplebrook School
5142 Rte. 22, Amenia
845-373-9511; www.maplebrookschool.org
What does your school’s academic curriculum focus on?
​Maplebrook School serves students with complex learning disabilities such as expressive and receptive language disorders and/or ADHD. The school is co-educational and is both a boarding and day school. Maplebrook School is a 21st century school. Through small group and individualized instruction, faculty use iPads and other technology to emphasize multisensory teaching, whereby the student will be assisted in reaching his/her academic potential. For more information on the various programs Maplebrook has to offer, please contact the Admissions Office at 845-373-8191, or via e-mail at admissions@maplebrookschool.org.
 |
The Masters School
49 Clinton Ave., Dobbs Ferry
914-479-6463; www.mastersny.org
What unique summer programs do you have?
The Masters School offers more than 20 unique programs to students in grades 5 through 12 from June 13 to July 1. From college prep, engineering and science, musical theater, various athletics and more, Masters of Summer promises thoughtfully designed, age-appropriate programs all led by dedicated, skilled professionals on our 96-acre bucolic campus. Classes meet Monday through Friday and courses are offered in one-, two-, or three-week increments.
For more information, visit www.mastersny.org/mastersofsummer or call 914-479-6463.
 |
Ramapo College
505 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah, NJ
201-684-7500; www.ramapo.edu
What does your school’s academic curriculum focus on?
​Ramapo College’s curriculum focuses on hands-on, experiential learning. One component is the Study Abroad program which offers students once-in-a-lifetime experiences that integrate coursework with culture while earning a degree. Students gain global awareness and broader communication skills while contributing to personal growth. Studying abroad also is a great résumé builder. At Ramapo, students who complete their first year are eligible to apply for international programs, which include various study opportunities in more than 60 countries. Internship opportunities also are available, offering a taste of international employment.
 |
St. Thomas Aquinas College
125 Rte. 340, Sparkill
845-398-4100; www.stac.edu
Will there be any new programs implemented in the 2016-2017 calendar year?
St. Thomas Aquinas College’s School of Education has new programs in Educational Studies and Early Childhood & Childhood Education. For 2016-2017, the College’s School of Business is planning a new program in Hospitality Management and the School of Arts & Sciences is planning a new program in Exercise Science. Learn more at www.stac.edu/academics.
 |
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF)
1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse
315-470-6500; www.esf.edu
What does your school’s academic curriculum focus on?
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry is the nation’s oldest stand-alone college dedicated to the study of the environment and is one of the nation’s leading public research institutions.
The SUNY-ESF Newcomb Campus, in the center of the Adirondack Park, offers real-world experiences for students, is a leader in research informing natural resource management issues and is engaged in outreach and education throughout the Adirondacks.
 |
Trinity-Pawling School
700 Rte. 22, Pawling
845-855-3100; www.trinitypawling.org
What is your institution’s goal for its students besides providing an academic education?
At Trinity-Pawling, we intend to inspire young men to be innovators for an ever-changing world. We aim to place students in real-world situations that test them not by rote examinations, but by how well they put knowledge into action, in the classroom and out in the larger world. Such an experiential focus embraces how boys learn best — by doing. Our goal is to ensure that our students leave Trinity-Pawling as young men of character who are problem-solvers, creative thinkers, and collaborators well-equipped for leadership in the 21st century.
What’s this?
This content is made possible by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the attitude, views, or opinions of the Hudson Valley Magazine editorial staff.