CEO's Message
December 15, 2024
Dear Bricolage Community,
As we near the end of 2024 and embrace the season of gratitude and giving, I want to express our sincere appreciation for your support of Bricolage’s mission to advance educational equity and develop young innovators poised to change the world.
Now in our 11th year, Bricolage remains among the most sought-after schools in New Orleans. We are consistently one of the highest-performing open-enrollment schools in the city, serving students of all backgrounds, with no admission requirements at any grade level.
In the past four years, our talented team has driven several key improvements to advance our goals:
- Strengthened instructional leadership
- School-wide implementation of a Tier 1 curriculum
- Enhanced student support systems, including academic and social-emotional interventions and enrichment opportunities
- Expanded pre-K capacity and broadened arts and extracurricular offerings
Our commitment to innovation goes beyond our makerspace classrooms. Last spring, a team of Bricolage middle school students showcased their creativity and problem-solving skills in Boston, where they competed in the Global Economic Summit. This kind of opportunity reflects the real-world impact of our design thinking curriculum.
Our extracurricular programs also continue to grow, with championship basketball, flag football, and volleyball, along with soccer, cheer, dance, debate, and choir. Go Trojans!
We are proud of the dedication of our staff and the loyalty of our families. Last year, Bricolage retained 94% of our students and 90% of our instructional staff. These strong retention rates reflect our investment in support systems and our commitment to cultivating a healthy, inclusive culture.
This summer, we began a strategic planning process, guided by input from board members, staff, parents, students, and external partners. Through this, we identified a unifying theme: Bricolage will be a premier, open-enrollment school that achieves equitable and excellent academic outcomes for all learners, fostering joy, innovation, and community.
Bricolage is more than a school; it’s a vibrant community, and we would not have reached this point without your belief in our vision. Your support over the past decade has enabled us to provide high-quality programming, adapt to new challenges, and uphold our commitment to accessibility and excellence.
Each year, Bricolage raises nearly $400,000 to support our innovative and equitable programs. This year, we invite you to continue celebrating our work by making a gift to Bricolage. Whether you give through the response card in the mail, through the link here or below, or at any time before school year’s end, your generosity will have a lasting impact on our students, families, and staff.
Thank you again for your unwavering support. If you’d like to learn more about our plans or progress, I would be delighted to connect with you.
Wishing you and yours a joyful holiday season,
With gratitude,
Antigua Joseph-Woods
CEO, Bricolage Academy
