Lacordaire Academy in Upper Montclair recently launched The Integritas Institute, a four-year leadership program built into the curriculum for every student in its all-girls Upper School. The program brings together leadership, professional preparation, personal development and wellness in one comprehensive experience that grows with students from ninth grade through graduation. At each stage, students consider the leader they want to become and the kind of life they want that leadership to support.

“Lacordaire students are ambitious, and we want them to stay ambitious,” said Megan Mannato, head of school. “The Integritas Institute brings together programs that have long been part of the Lacordaire experience into one signature program that gives every student the opportunity to develop as a leader while preparing for the independence and opportunities ahead.”

The program progresses through four stages of the Upper School experience. Freshmen focus on identity, resilience and discovering their strengths and interests. Sophomores build independence through self-advocacy, relationships, decision-making and responsible choices. Juniors focus on balance, boundaries, workplace readiness and managing the pressures of school and life after graduation. By senior year, students apply what they have learned as they prepare for college, careers and independent adulthood.

Leadership is already central to the girls’ school experience. According to the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools, 80% of girls’ school graduates report holding leadership positions after high school. When girls feel like they belong, they are more likely to step forward and lead. The Integritas Institute builds on that foundation by helping students see leadership as more than titles or accomplishments, with experiences shaped around their personal interests, strengths and goals. This gives every Lacordaire student opportunities to find her own way to lead.

Students can put their developing skills into practice through some of Lacordaire’s most distinctive academic, professional and leadership experiences. The Advanced STEM Academy offers hands-on STEM learning and connections with experts, with this year’s focus on climate change and coastal resilience culminating in a six-day capstone program at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. At the Montclair State University Research Symposium, seniors complete in-depth research projects alongside university experts. Junior internships provide firsthand professional experience, while student government gives students a voice in shaping student life and representing their peers. In 10th grade, students identify a community need and design and lead their own service project.

Throughout their years at Lacordaire, students also have opportunities to travel internationally through annual international and service trips, including this year’s service trip to Costa Rica, followed by a senior-year mission trip designed specifically for their class.

The institute also puts an emphasis on how students manage the demands that come with those opportunities. Each week, students have time built into their schedules to focus on wellness, from managing stress and getting enough sleep to developing the habits that help them stay balanced. This reflects a philosophy Lacordaire faculty have long valued: High achievement does not have to come at the expense of a healthy, balanced life.

“One of our math teachers is famous for telling students that studying is important, but so are your eight hours of sleep,” Mannato said. “That really captures who we are. We expect a lot from our students, but we also recognize that success is not sustainable if it comes at the expense of their well-being. If a student hasn’t yet learned how to manage the demands of school while getting enough rest, we help her develop the habits and judgment to do both.”

“We want our graduates to be capable of leading, and we want them to be happy while doing it,” Mannato said. “We want them to build lives they are proud of, relationships that matter to them and careers that are fulfilling. Achievement is important. So is enjoying the life you worked so hard to build.”